Hate crimes, intolerance and discrimination against Christians in Europe

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 16447 | 24 June 2026

Signatories:

Ms Deborah BERGAMINI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Ms Boriana ÅBERG, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Bogdan BOGDANOV, Bulgaria, ALDE ; Ms Elena BONETTI, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Iulian BULAI, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Ricardo CARVALHO, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Patrick CASEY, Ireland, ALDE ; Mr Benjamin DALLE, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Ms Marie-Christine DALLOZ, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Andrea EDER-GITSCHTHALER, Austria, EPP/CD ; Ms Elisabetta GARDINI, Italy, ECPA ; Mr Andries GRYFFROY, Belgium, ALDE ; Ms Carmen LEYTE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Andreas MINNICH, Austria, EPP/CD ; Mr Rónán MULLEN, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Lőrinc NACSA, Hungary, ECPA ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Dominik OBERHOFER, Austria, ALDE ; Mr Marko PAVIĆ, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Mr Fabio PIETRELLA, Italy, ECPA ; Mr Graziano PIZZIMENTI, Italy, ECPA ; Ms Catia POLIDORI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Nicola RENZI, San Marino, ALDE ; Ms Denitsa SACHEVA, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Mr Georgios STAMATIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Ivanka VASILEVSKA, North Macedonia, EPP/CD ; Ms Lesia VASYLENKO, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Johannes VOLKMANN, Germany, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The European Parliament – in its Resolution of 21 January 2026 – states that Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world today. The rising number of hate crimes and acts of intolerance against Christians across Europe is concerning. These manifestations of hostility pose a threat to fundamental human rights, specifically affecting both individuals and places of worship.

Christianity is a pillar of European identity. Protecting Christian communities and their symbols is essential not only to uphold universal religious freedom but also to preserve the cultural and democratic fabric of Europe.

Recent data highlights a severe escalation of violence:

• Acts against individuals: hostility directly impacts believers, undermining their security and freedom of expression. In 2024, data revealed a sharp rise in personal assaults, with 274 direct physical attacks against Christians. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR) guidelines emphasise that these hate incidents have a profound impact and gender-specific aspect, particularly affecting women and minors.
• Acts against places of worship: vandalism, desecration, and arson attacks on churches have significantly increased. Alarmingly, 94 arson attacks were recorded in 2024 alone, nearly doubling the previous year's total. The 2025 annual report by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) documented 2 211 anti-Christian hate crimes.

The last resolution approved on this matter by the Assembly dates back to 2019. Since then, the situation has severely worsened, making urgent and institutional action imperative. It is now necessary for the Assembly to consider further measures to prevent violations of religious freedom, with specific regard to the Christian faith in Europe. The Assembly could consider allowing States to develop a common strategy to prevent manifestations of intolerance, discrimination and hate crimes against Christians, including those committed online, whilst raising public awareness through the promotion of dialogue and tolerance.