Politics in 'materialist terms': Gen Z in Albania, Italy, France and India protesting for 'fairness'

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Issued on: 23/10/2026 - 11:04Modified: 23/10/2026 - 12:43

Jean-Emile Jammine is pleased to welcome Gökçe Tuncel, Sociologist and post-doctoral researcher associated with the Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC). For Tuncel, the wave of youth-led protests across France, Albania, India and Italy reveals more than a succession of localized grievances. It signals the emergence of a political consciousness shaped by material insecurity, institutional disillusionment and an increasingly explicit demand for solidarity and social justice. "What is really striking about this Gen Z movement is how clearly young people see their material conditions," Tuncel observes.