The annual report released today by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe shows “alarming levels of hate speech and its growing trivialisation across Europe. Xenophobic discourse has become more prevalent, also in the context of stricter immigration policies being drawn up”. The report highlights the main trends of hate speech in Europe and reports on ECRI activity in 2025. “Ethnic or national origin is often amongst the most common grounds for hate speech, followed by religion, citizenship, sexual orientation and gender identity”, the report reads. Antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate speech is widespread, at a level that is “much higher” than before the Hamas attack against Israel on 7 October 2023 and the subsequent Israeli war in Gaza. Among the challenges is the fight against hate speech in politics and online, which spreads rapidly and widely through social media and messaging platforms. The use of anonymous profiles and bots hinders effective investigation and sanctioning. Using AI to tackle online hate speech can yield results, although such tools remain relatively limited in their application. According to ECRI, we need an adequate legislative framework and inclusive policies. “Hate speech targets not only individual people but society as a whole”, ECRI chair Bertil Cottier stressed.