STATEMENT: EU Commission Leaves Anti-Racism Coordinator Behind
5 December 2024 – The European Network Against Racism (ENAR) strongly opposes the European Commission’s decision to upgrade the coordinators on antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred while excluding the EU Anti-Racism Coordinator. This disparity sends a dangerous message about the Commission’s priorities, creates unacceptable hierarchies within anti-racism work, and undermines efforts to combat racism as a systemic issue.
As the new European Commission takes shape, social justice and equality movements are watching closely to ensure that equality and non-discrimination remain at the heart of the agenda in the next five years. Recent decisions by the Commission, however, raise urgent questions about its commitment to anti-racism.
The European Network Against Racism expresses deep concern over this week’s announcement. Of the three EU coordinators on racism – on combatting antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, on combatting anti-Muslim hatred, and anti-racism – only the EU Anti-Racism Coordinator was excluded from being upgraded to the Secretariat-General. In doing so, the coordinator was denied direct access to the President of the European Commission, which would have significantly strengthened the position’s political impact. The decision is even more troubling as the current Anti-Racism Coordinator, Michaela Moua, is the only racialised leader across these three roles. While framed as a political upgrade, the move fails to live up to last year’s commitment to elevate all three coordinators. The inconsistent approach is also evident in the unequal treatment of the Roma team leader.
The decision reflects a troubling lack of consistency in addressing structural and institutional racism across Europe. By strengthening the fight against specific forms of hatred and neglecting others, the Commission creates unacceptable hierarchies within anti-racism priorities, undermining the promises etched in the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan (2020–2025). Such fragmentation weakens efforts to tackle racism as a systemic issue and risks eroding trust in the EU’s equality agenda.
“This is a critical moment for the EU to lead on racism, not deepen harmful divides between communities. The Commission must step up and honour its promises. Elevating the Anti-Racism Coordinator is the first step to prove that tackling systemic racism is a real priority,” stated Julie Pascoët, ENAR Policy Coordinator.
Separating the fight against antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred from the Anti-Racism Team reinforces harmful divisions. For years, equality networks have warned against prioritising some forms of racism over others. This approach only undermines solidarity among affected communities and weakens the effectiveness of anti-racism policies. Racism is a pervasive system that targets multiple communities – Jewish, Muslim, Roma, migrant communities, people of African and Asian descent, and those perceived as such – and must be addressed as a unified issue.
At a time when the EU should be shaping its next anti-racism strategy, the Commission’s inconsistencies send a damaging message. The systemic marginalisation of racialised voices, reflected even within the Commission’s own structures, loudly contradicts its stated commitment to equality and justice.
As the voice of the European anti-racism movement, ENAR urgently calls on the European Commission to treat all forms of racism with equal urgency. To secure a future for Europe that truly embodies equality, we urge the Commission to allocate sufficient resources and restructure its services for a unified approach. Racial justice must be mainstreamed across all EU policies.
In this critical political climate, we cannot afford for the fight against racism to be fragmented or selective. ENAR continues to warn that the EU’s ambition to address injustices can only be successful if it confronts racism in all its forms, with a united, intersectional and decolonial approach. In our mission to a racism-free Europe, we will continue to hold the European Commission accountable to its promises.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Klara Avsec, ENAR Communications Officer
Mobile: +32 (0)487 77 43 67
Email: klara@enar-eu.org
