Commissioner Brunner, in a written answer on 23 July 2026, pushed back against allegations of double standards in the EU's protection of religious communities, arguing that existing frameworks already address attacks against Christians. The response came to a parliamentary question by Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE), who had pointed to the absence of a dedicated mechanism to tackle anti-Christian hatred, contrasting it with specific EU coordinators for antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred.
Brunner's answer contained no new policy proposals, numerical targets, or timelines. Instead, it reiterated the Commission's position that hate speech and crime based on religion have no place in the EU and pointed to existing measures, notably the 2024 PROTECT call for proposals, which funds the protection of places of worship, schools, and community gatherings – including Christian sites. The Commissioner did not acknowledge any increase in anti-Christian incidents or commit to establishing a dedicated coordinator or monitoring mechanism.
Politically, the answer signals the Commission's reluctance to create religion-specific structures beyond those already in place for antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, maintaining a one-size-fits-all approach to protecting religious sites. This leaves the question of whether Christian communities face distinct challenges unaddressed, potentially disappointing MEPs and advocacy groups who argue that anti-Christian hatred is often dismissed as artistic expression or satire.
Christian communities and advocacy groups may feel their concerns are not being taken as seriously as those of other religious groups, while the Commission avoids administrative expansion. EU taxpayers see no new spending, but existing PROTECT funds are spread across all religions, potentially diluting focus. National authorities retain flexibility in how they protect places of worship, but receive no new EU-level guidance on anti-Christian hatred. No immediate institutional follow-up is expected; the Commission appears to consider the matter closed.