Europe Fears Civil Unrest

Angry street protests in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Iceland and other nations, combined with economic recession, have unnerved European leaders, who met to talk about how to handle civil unrest. An abrupt drop in living standards, high unemployment rates, loss of homes, vanishing savings could spur protests far more disruptive than those that shut down capitals in 1968. “A more apt comparison for Iceland and some of the Baltic countries could be the French Revolution of 1789,” notes Peter O’Neil in the Montreal Gazette, quoting one analyst’s warning. Any small event that symbolizes inequality could trigger fury. Economic ties have become more intricate since 1960s, so trading partners also worry about widespred disruption. Analysts anticipate the recession to continue into 2010. – YaleGlobal