Violence and Discrimination Against Christians: “We need to take action”

The European Christian Political Party (ECPP) and its MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen, co-chair of the Intergroup on Freedom of Religion, Belief and Conscience (FoRB), organised a conference in the European Parliament to address the rising violence and discrimination against Christians in Europe. This concern was underscored by Anja Tang-Hoffmann, Director of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe), as she presented OIDAC’s annual report, highlighting a worrying increase in anti-Christian incidents across the continent.

According to the report, OIDAC recorded 2,200 incidents of anti-Christian hate crimes in 2024. These include an increase in physical attacks against individuals and a rise in church arson. Tang-Hoffmann emphasised that the issue is not only the increase in numbers, but also the growing intolerance towards Christians in society, which is equally concerning. There is growing evidence of legal and social pressure on individuals for the peaceful expression of their faith. A notable example of this is the high-profile trial of Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen for quoting a Bible verse in the plenary.

ECPP MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen:

“Attacks on Christians and discrimination against Christians in Europe receive little attention, but the figures are alarming. As a group of thirty concerned MEPs, we are calling on the EU and its Member States to finally take action.”

Ruissen called on the European Commission to take three concrete steps to address the issue.

In order to combat violence and discrimination against Christians, it is recommended that a European Coordinator be appointed, in a manner similar to the coordinators already in place to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia.
We call upon EU Member States to collect and report data on violence and discrimination against Christians in a systematic manner.
It is recommended that EU funding be allocated to initiatives and projects that are aimed at combating violence and discrimination against Christians, in a similar manner to the allocation of funds to tackle antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Ruissen also reiterated the importance of swiftly appointing an EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief.

Valeriu Ghiletchi, ECPP President:

“This event and the OIDAC report are timely and clearly depict the worsening situation in Europe. It is imperative that we raise awareness among member states and the European Union. ECPP fully supports the call of MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen to the Commission to take action.”

Read the full OIDAC report here.

Read more about Bert-Jan Ruissen’s work on this topic here.

Together we are shaping a Europe where human dignity is protected, where people are free and safe, and where governments serve their citizens.

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Violence and Discrimination Against Christians: “We need to take action”

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