Debates are becoming less vocal as experts and activists in the field of equality are learning to remain silent on issues like Gaza and the illegal US and Israeli attack on Iran, fearing they will lose access to much-needed EU funding. As one conference participant wryly put it: "It's the new Brussels effect."
AI Brief
I am at the European Anti-Racism Conference, feeling hopeful about a more open and inclusive Europe.
Hadja Lahbib, the EU commissioner for equality, who is herself the child of Algerian migrants, promises that Europe will not turn inwards despite political challenges.
She warns that "racism hides in habits, assumptions, and systems we no longer question." And "when discrimination becomes invisible, it slowly starts to feel normal."
Lahbib has launched a new EU anti-racism strategy and says there is €3.6 billion in the bloc’s next budget for equality initiatives.
The audience is more diverse than I've seen at an EU event in Brussels. Many present have personal experience with racism, having studied, lived, and challenged it for years.
Everyone hopes for change, but the illusion may not last long.
A young participant says, "These speeches are good, but as a black person, I don't need to be told how bad racism is. I'm not the one who needs convincing."
She is right; those who need convincing are not in the room.
Missing EU Officials:
Racism and EU migration policies are linked, but Magnus Brunner, the EU commissioner for migration, who is pushing for the controversial EU deportation plan, is absent.
Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign and security policy chief, is also absent, despite her policies often reinforcing colonial hierarchies.
Commissioners for trade and development should be present to hear calls for policy changes that would make Europe more credible in the Global South.
Brussels operates in separate worlds.
Those working on equality are using more inclusive language and discussing structural racism, colonial legacies, and intersectionality, but they remain in their own sphere.
Those making decisions about the lives of black and brown Europeans, migrants, and refugees, as well as the application of laws, operate in another world.
Lahbib is the first commissioner of color, and Antonio Costa, the EU Council president, has Goan and Mozambican heritage.
However, the institutions they lead are overwhelmingly Eurocentric and white, not just in composition but in their worldviews.
Diversity efforts remain just that: efforts. The broader Brussels ecosystem is losing enthusiasm for DEI due to nativist and white supremacist influences.
Despite recent elections, the Europe emerging outside the conference is one of rising far-right parties and mainstream politicians who openly promote their harmful messages.
Europe's migration discourse is deeply racialized, framing the movement of black and brown people as a security threat. Terms like "illegal" and "irregular" migration create a climate where even solidarity is suspect.
The €3.6 billion may seem significant, but the European Parliament has the final say.
Civil society organizations complain of a "shrinking space" for their activities, and the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) has launched a fundraising campaign, "Defund Racism, Fund Anti-Racism," due to uncertainty about its EU funding.
There are many more challenges.
Jewish organizations opposing Israel's actions in Gaza say they are excluded from EU events on antisemitism, and the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organizations (FEMYSO) complains of smear campaigns.
Debates are becoming more muted as equality experts and activists fear losing EU funding by speaking out on issues like Gaza and the US/Israeli attack on Iran.
This is "the new Brussels effect."
Some are less concerned about taking risks. Rabin Baldewsingh, the Netherlands' national coordinator against discrimination and racism, says that being "diplomatic just doesn't work."
National experts like Singh are responsible for ensuring governments uphold equality commitments.
However, only 14 EU states have adopted national plans against racism.
Discrimination often goes unpunished across the EU, and victims fear retaliation.
Racism in AI tools used by border guards and police poses new risks for racialized Europeans.
Lahbib may use inclusive language, but Europe's commitment to equality is measured not by conferences or strategies, but by the choices made by EU and national policymakers regarding funding, accountability, and whose lives are deemed important enough to mourn and whose injustices are confronted.