Constraints on Europe's Leaders Amid Rising Social Unrest

On Nov. 14, trade unions held strikes in several European countries. The largest protests took place in the countries most affected by the European financial crisis: Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy. There were also smaller protests in France and Belgium.

The economic crisis is limiting the political and economic options that European leaders have at their disposal, regardless of the intentions of each government. European elites are increasingly disconnected from the realities of European voters as the economic crisis leads to a crisis of representation in the countries most affected by the economic slowdown.