Europe's values are under threat. They are being challenged by the rise of ideologies of intolerance, racism, xenophobia, violence and by narratives that go against the very core principles on which the European Union is founded. Speeches of hatred that would have been inconceivable a few years ago are gaining in popularity, becoming more uninhibited, and to an extent acceptable in the political debate. More subtle forms of intolerance influence the actions of governments in several Member States and it is by now common to see populist and extremist rhetoric openly expressed.