I did notice the surge in fresh fish prices for the past 6 months. For example, dover soles (300-400g size) had been in the 20-25 eur/kg (with an average at +/-23 eur) for +/- 15 years with a few peaks at 30 eur and dips at 18 eur; for the past 6 months, I have never seen the price below 30 euros and it has averaged 35-37eur with peaks at 40+ eur. I wonder whether it has to do with Brexit and therefore less fish available on the EU market. In any case all fish prices have substantially increased (depending on the species 40-70%); the cost of milk, pasta, etc. has also increased, not talking about gasoline or real estate.

(Here in Luxembourg, I have been made aware that a new project outside the city -at +/- 10 km to the north- a new residential development to be delivered in 2023 has prices at 20.000 euros/sq m for flats of 65-75 sq m) ... [Ed. c.€1890/sqft]

Wages are not following, and taxes are globally up with budgets still showing too large deficits. This will fuel resentment and populism, maybe revolts when people have nothing left to lose (the situation is dire in France and the split within the have and have nots deepening by the day compounded by and immigration - whether with a French ID or not - separatism being more evident by the day. Wages are not following.

Eoin Treacy's view

Thank you for this insightful account. The rising cost of marine products may be an unintended consequence of renewable energy, regulations and compliance. This article from the BBC profiling Grimsby may be of interest. Here is a section: 

Shell fisherman Darren Kenyon is not a fan of the wind companies, though.

"It's been a really bad thing for us," he says. "They've taken thousands of miles of sea up, and put wind poles in. They've gridded the sea with electricity cables."

Darren complains that he cannot compete with the wages the wind farm companies pay their crews. 

And

According to the environmental group, Greenpeace, just five wealthy UK families own or control nearly a third of the country's fishing quota.

Danny complains that the whole system conspires to push small players out. Retiring smaller fishermen have often sold their quota - sometimes to continental Europeans. Others rent out their allocation on a monthly basis; they're known in the trade as "slipper skippers" because it's assumed that they sit snug and warm at home while others go fishing.

If we factor in the difficulty of remaining fully staffed during the pandemic, that might help to explain the rising cost of fish just about everywhere.

The polarisation of the political landscape is a global phenomenon with politicians desperate to evolve with the zeitgeist, while also attempting to make a name for themselves with grand gestures. Against that background it is hard to imagine how they can contain deficits.

It seems we are increasingly mimicking a Roman environment where the mob is being placated with bread and circuses. That didn’t end well for the Romans. The EU is only beginning to issue federal debt so this trend probably has a long way to run.

Perhaps the biggest challenge is the EU’s wealth and power are concentrated in the hands of natives while population growth is focused on immigrants. Multiculturalism has utterly failed at integration, and these competing themes are already in conflict. Fiscal austerity would only make it worse. The only conclusion is further money printing is to be expected and the inflationary impact of that continues to be felt.