FX.co ★ European Stocks Head Lower on Violent Protests

European equity markets were set to open lower on Monday as mass protests in France intensified into violent confrontations between police and demonstrators over the weekend. The unrest also spread to major cities in Belgium, Italy, and Portugal, weighing on investor sentiment across the region. At the same time, markets remained cautious amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe, with Moscow and Kyiv continuing to target energy infrastructure. On Sunday, Ukrainian strikes ignited an oil export terminal and a storage facility in St. Petersburg, further heightening regional uncertainty. No major economic data releases or corporate earnings reports are scheduled in Europe on Monday. In premarket trading, Euro Stoxx 50 futures were down 0.3%, while Stoxx 600 futures slipped 0.2%.