People who combat extremism and hate mongering in Europe should face up to people’s concerns and put upfront strategies and plans based on consistent efforts to remove the causes of fear and anxiety, MEP Alfred Sant said.

Speaking at the European Parliament during the debate ‘Anti-Semitism, Islamaphobia and hate speech in Europe’, Dr Sant said that simply saying wir schaffen das (We can make it), though encouraging, was not enough.

“Much more needs to be done.”

Dr Sant said problems multiplied when massive immigration flows raised the perception that European lifestyles would be submerged under alien cultures and that scarce jobs would be appropriated by newcomers.

“Such anxiety and fears should be addressed. They should be seen as grounded in concrete concerns not in innate prejudices. The extremists who fan hate and xenophobia have understood this. They play on such concerns to drive people towards irrational and violent action,” he said.

“To contain and eradicate hate speech, anti-semitism and islamophobia, we must tackle the conditions that help them to spread. This is more difficult at times of economic stagnation or recession but it must be done,’ the former Prime Minister said.