Southern Europe in September 2026: the most important developments in society
Southern European society in September 2026 was marked by Italy's school measures, Spain's housing protests and the migrant situation in Ceuta.
On September 20 Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a ban on burqas and niqabs in schools and a cap on foreign students per class, and the government approved a decree on September 24 and 25. It includes fines of up to 1,000 euros for parents who do not ensure their children learn Italian. The government says the rules aim at integration; critics called them a "witch hunt", and Italy's Muslims questioned the ban as "a false problem."
In Spain, the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid, reported on September 23, brought thousands to the streets on September 26 and tens of thousands on September 27, and protesters camped in the Sol district. The government announced a ban on evictions on September 29, and the pensioner returned to her home. Earlier in the month tens of thousands marched in Madrid and other cities, including Ceuta, on September 2 and 3 against the government's handling of the Ceuta migrant crisis, with many describing the arrivals as an "invasion"; Spain prepared to house up to 10,000 migrants in Ceuta, and PP and Vox joined a march on September 26 demanding an investigation of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Spain also approved citizenship for Sahrawis born under Spanish rule.
An explosion destroyed a building in Athens on September 26, killing six people, including four American tourists and a British man; the blast is believed to have been caused by a gas leak. Heat and weather dominated other news: Spain recorded its hottest summer on record, with a heatwave lasting 61 days, wildfires burned in Greece, Portugal and the Valencia region, floods killed a woman in Italy on September 10, and ash from Mount Etna repeatedly closed Catania airport. Greece recorded 290 West Nile virus cases and 24 deaths, and a ferry sinking off Cyprus killed 12.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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