The idea of “Normative Power Europe” has been widely celebrated in academic and policy circles as Europe’s claim to moral authority in the world. It suggests that the European Union (EU) comprises not just markets and treaties but values, such as the rule of law, democracy, respect for human rights and the protection of minorities. But the latest data on antisemitism in the EU calls this self-image into doubt.
When Jewish communities do not feel secure and respected in Europe’s cities, schools, and public spaces, it signals Europe’s failure in one of its most fundamental obligations to its own citizens, an obligation at the core of what it claims to represent in the international arena.
The “Special Eurobarometer 570: Perceptions of Antisemitism,” published in early February, makes it plain that antisemitism – from graffiti and hostile language in public space to online hostility – is widespread in many EU member states. According to the survey, more than half of Europeans now identify antisemitism as a problem in their own countries, and nearly half believe it has increased over the past five years. Hostility in public is the most commonly cited manifestation, followed closely by antisemitic vandalism and online hate.
The numbers do not fully convey the human reality behind them: Jewish citizens feel unsafe on the street, encounter stereotypes at school and see their history reduced or distorted in public discourse. Antisemitism is not merely an abstract “problem” measured in percentages. It is a lived experience of exclusion, anxiety and, in some cases, outright physical threat and violence. And the fact that concern about antisemitism is greatest in countries like France, Italy and Sweden – countries often seen as Europe’s cultural leaders – should sound a profound alarm.
Europe’s values are not abstract principles policed by diplomats in Brussels. They should be the lived reality of every person on the continent. A Europe that allows Jewish communities to feel unsafe cannot credibly claim to be a bastion of human rights. A Europe where hostility toward Jews goes unchallenged in public squares, on walls, and online cannot credibly claim to be united through diversity. And a Europe that tolerates antisemitism cannot claim leadership on the global stage on issues of discrimination and minority rights.
Europe’s self-image as a defender of rights and a beacon of democratic values depends on its willingness to confront difficult truths. In the past two years, the October 7 massacre and the ensuing multi-front war have influenced perceptions and stoked tensions across Europe. Nearly seven in 10 Europeans believe that external conflicts affect how Jewish people are viewed in their own countries. But, of course, the root of antisemitism is not simply geopolitics. It is a long-standing prejudice that predates and outlives any single conflict. The persistence of this prejudice shows that Europe still harbors divisions that run deeper than disagreements over foreign policy.
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Antisemitic vandalism in Australia
(Photo: From the X page of the Jewish Community in Australia)
It is not enough for the EU to declare antisemitism “unacceptable.” Strongly-worded statements must be backed by effective action. Strengthening education on the Holocaust and Jewish history, enforcing anti-hate laws, supporting community security initiatives, and publicly confronting antisemitic rhetoric at every level of society are essential. EU institutions and member states must treat antisemitism with the urgency it requires, not as a peripheral issue but as central to the health of European society.
Moreover, this is not solely a Jewish issue. A society that tolerates antisemitism is a society in which all minorities are at risk. History shows that antisemitism often appears alongside other forms of hate; it is both a symptom and a driver of broader social intolerance. Failing to combat it effectively weakens social cohesion and undermines trust in democratic institutions. A Europe that is divided by hate cannot hope to deepen its union. Its claim to universal values rings hollow when a significant portion of its population feels marginalized or threatened.
European leaders must also resist the temptation to regard antisemitism as a distant or fringe problem. When nearly three in five Europeans report hostility toward Jews in public places and online, and when this sentiment is recognized across age groups and countries, it is not a marginal trend. It is a societal challenge that demands a comprehensive strategy that includes civil society engagement, law enforcement training, curriculum reform, and political leadership that speaks not just in condemnations but in concrete action and measurable progress.
The story of Europe as a normative power should not be an exercise in vanity. It should be grounded in reality, in the actual protection and flourishing of all Europeans. Europe can be a champion of rights on the world stage, but only if it first ensures that Jews feel secure walking to synagogue, that schoolchildren learn history with honesty and respect, and that antisemitism is treated as a threat to democratic life, not a problem to be tolerated.
A Europe that fails to protect its Jewish communities fails itself and its own history. It also fails its future. Only by confronting antisemitism with clarity, resolve, and sustained action can Europe live up to the values it espouses. Anything less risks turning the concept of “Normative Power Europe” into an empty slogan, not a lived reality.
Professor Sharon Pardo is a Senior Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) and a professor of European studies and international relations in the Department of Politics and Government at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.