Economic tensions building in Europe

RIGA, Latvia, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Street protests arising from financial distress have erupted into violence in several European countries recently, prompting fears of political instability.

In Riga, Latvia, a recent protest involving 10,000 demonstrators turned violent before it was done, The Washington Post reported Monday.

In Lithuania, police responded with rubber bullets to break up 7,000 demonstrators in a protest that ended with 15 injured. Demonstrations in Greece, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria have also included clashes with police.

Police in Reykjavik, Iceland, used tear gas to break up a crowd of 2,000. The following day, Prime Minister Geir Haarde called for early elections and said he would resign.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, said the tension "may worsen in the coming months,"

"The situation is really, really serious," he said.

Observers worry the political stability in younger countries, notably those recently part of the Soviet empire, may be vulnerable.

"The political systems in all these countries are fragile," said Jonathan Eyal, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute.

"There's a long history of unfulfilled promises and frustration with the political elites going back to the communist era," he said.