The BBC host cited countries such as Emmanuel Macron’s France, which has been battling in recent weeks to control the so-called “yellow vest” protests. The protests started in November over planned fuel tax hikes but quickly spiralled into a revolt against the Government’s alleged elitism. Hosting BBC This Week, Mr Neil said: “This is true in Britain, continental Europe and America. The anger is justified because ten years after the Lehman crash, the people who caused the crash are richer than ever.
“The people who didn’t cause the crash have seen their wages stagnate. They are right to be angry.”
Mr Neil said Brexit has transformed British politics into a “horror show” but warned countries across the continent and beyond are yet to escape the same shake-up in their own democracies.
He added: “Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican parties stronger than ever post the Mueller report. The Democratic Party now faces its own insurgency forces of the two on its fringe.
“The Presidency of Emmanuel Macron, the centrist centrist, has been derailed by the protests of the Gilets Jaunes.
“The Federal Republic of Germany for 70 years, a byword for sense and moderation, now has 93 hard-right members of its Bundestag. They expect to make big gains in the coming European elections.
“Europe’s smallest social democracy is always the epitome of progress and consensus and are struggling to cope with the disruption of hard right insurgence.
“And in Rome the populist right is now in power with the populist left. So, what could possibly go wrong with that?”
A populist eurosceptic party has also stunned the political establishment in the Netherlands and sent shockwaves across the EU after its election victory.
The Forum for Democracy (FvD), which has campaigned for a Dutch exit from the European Union, won the most votes in elections for the upper house of parliament earlier this week.
The comments come as the European Parliament plans to hold new elections for all its 751 members between May 23 and May 26 – with Britain still unsure on whether the Government will field candidates in the event of a long extension to the Brexit talks.
British MEP Mike Hookem warned top Eurocrats this week the EU should prepare for an “invasion” of new eurosceptic members in the May elections.
Mr Hookem told colleagues in Strasbourg their national governments should prepare for a mass protest vote because of growing anger towards the European establishment.