Protests in Europe Widen, What Should Indonesia Do?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Protests that have turned violent in France are spreading across several European countries.

According to The Guardian, the protests that began in France have sparked various demonstrations in other countries.

On October 17, 2026, similar actions were recorded in Belgium, Portugal, Albania, Spain, and Italy.

Professor of International Law at the University of Indonesia, Hikmahanto Juwana, stated that the events occurring in various European countries stem from a common issue.

"What is experienced in one country is also felt by others," he told Kompas.com on Tuesday (20/10/2026).

The underlying problem is the economic difficulties faced by the public, while governments in these countries continue to impose high taxes.

Anticipating Unrest in the Homeland

Hikmahanto mentioned that what is happening in European countries could very well occur in other parts of the world, including Indonesia.

"Problems like this have a contagious effect," he said.

For this reason, Hikmahanto advised the government to anticipate potential public dissatisfaction that could escalate.

Especially when tensions rise, third parties could exploit the situation.

One way to anticipate such issues is to listen to the aspirations of the public.

"So it is better to listen to the people's aspirations and adjust policies as per their requests before it is too late," he stated.

Protests in France

According to a report by The Telegraph, around 550,000 people took to the streets in demonstrations involving the yellow vest movement, labor unions, and student groups.

Of these, 110,000 demonstrators were in Paris.

The wave of unrest began with student protests that have been ongoing for three weeks.

The movement originally emerged as a protest against the lack of teachers and the deteriorating conditions in secondary schools in the suburbs of Paris. Some schools have even been set on fire.

Calls for action on social media then encouraged demonstrators in various regions to revive the "yellow vest" movement that started in 2018 as a protest against rising living costs.

The movement has since broadened to include labor unions representing nurses, teachers, farmers, taxi drivers, and environmental activists.

Reports from AFP indicate that at least 1,200 people have been arrested in these protests, with 150 police officers reported injured.

The unrest has since spread to several other European countries.