At the conference, Anja Tang-Hoffmann, Director of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe), presented her organisation’s annual report. Other keynote speakers included MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen, ECPP President Valeriu Ghilețchi, and Alessandro Calcagno, legal adviser to the Secretary General of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE).

MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen welcomed the speakers and the audience and underlined the relevance of the discussion: “The European Union is founded on Christian values, and Christianity is deeply rooted in European countries.” He stated that the rise in hatred against Christians is widely ignored and that Christians are increasingly marginalised at both national and European level. This marginalisation, he argued, harms the public role of Churches and Christian education and leads to hesitancy and fear among individual believers to express their faith.

ECPP President Valeriu Ghilețchi expressed his appreciation for the OIDAC report and pointed in particular to the many instances of restrictions on the freedom of religion or belief of Christians. “ECPP stands with anyone persecuted for his or her beliefs. In particular, we stand for the right to worship publicly, wear religious symbols, and teach children their faith,” he said. Ghilețchi recalled a resolution and report for which he was rapporteur in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Tackling Intolerance and Discrimination in Europe, with a special focus on Christians, which called upon European states “to promote reasonable accommodation so as to enable Christians to fully participate in public life.” He stressed that this resolution remains highly relevant today.

In her presentation of the OIDAC report, Anja Tang-Hoffmann reported approximately 2,200 incidents of anti-Christian hate crimes during the reporting year 2024. Particularly worrying, she noted, was the rise in arson attacks and vandalism against churches, as well as personal attacks against Christians. Tang-Hoffmann underlined that these figures are conservative estimates, as anti-Christian violence often goes unreported due to the lack of data collection by governments or because victims do not report incidents. She also addressed more subtle legal restrictions placed on Christians that limit their freedom of religion or belief. “We see Christian schools being denied public funding, and arrests or legal persecution of Christians for praying near abortion clinics or for displaying or citing Bible verses in public. These developments lead to self-censorship and hesitancy to express one’s Christian faith,” she explained. Tang-Hoffmann further observed that Christian thought, which places human dignity at the foundation of human rights, increasingly clashes with post-Christian approaches that prioritise unrestricted freedom. She highlighted the lack of coordination at European level and advocated the implementation of the OSCE/ODIHR guidelines on Understanding Anti-Christian Hate Crimes and Addressing the Security Needs of Christian Communities.

COMECE’s Alessandro Calcagno called for the appointment of an EU Coordinator on anti-Christian hatred, modelled on the existing EU coordinators on antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred. “It is no longer an option to ignore this phenomenon. Protection must be provided to the faithful regardless of whether they belong to a minority or majority religion,” he stated. Calcagno also warned that strong secularisation and growing religious ignorance contribute to marginalisation. Religious symbols are increasingly portrayed as offensive or oppressive, particularly in public spaces and employment, raising serious concerns for freedom of religion and freedom of expression. Weak protection of religious freedom within the EU, he argued, also undermines the Union’s credibility abroad. Tolerance alone is insufficient to counter anti-Christian hatred; equal treatment of religious communities is essential to prevent marginalisation, social tensions, and risks of radicalisation or violence. Protecting public worship and religious expression is therefore not only a matter of fundamental rights, but also of societal cohesion and security.

In concluding the event, Valeriu Ghilețchi stressed the need not only to defend but also to actively promote Christian values. MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen reaffirmed his commitment to urge the European Commission to appoint a Coordinator on anti-Christian hatred. Secondly, he announced that he would call on Commissioner Brunner to ask Member States to collect systematic data on anti-Christian violence. Thirdly, he highlighted the need for EU funding for programmes aimed at combating violence and hatred.