Renew Europe strongly condemned the murder of two people outside an LGBTQIA+ bar in Bratislava last week. The EU cannot tolerate extremism and hatred towards LGBTQIA+ people. The EU and its Member States must be a safe place for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Following the attack, Renew Europe submitted a request for an urgent debate to be held in the European Parliament. Hate crimes must be banned from our continent. The European Council must take action and stop blocking the inclusion of hate crimes in the list of EU crimes, as requested by the European Commission and the European Parliament.

Michal Šimečka MEP (Progresívne Slovensko, SK) and Vice-Presidnet of the European Parliament declared: "Homophobic hatred was behind the killing in Bratislava and it is high time to stop it. We cannot view this horrific murder of two young men in an LGBTI bar in isolation. It happened in the context of long-term polarisation of our society and the spread of hatred, which is driven by specific individuals and concrete political actors. I call on all political parties in Slovakia and across Europe to stop dividing society and not to use hate language against members of any minorities".

Maite Pagazaurtundúa MEP (Ciudadanos, ES), Rapporteur on extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime, added: "These murders are the tip of an iceberg of prejudice. The process of radicalisation today is much easier on an individual basis. Because a real human being is killed out of prejudice. The poison of prejudice deshumanises the gaze. The first thing to do is to prevent the killings and then the mass of prejudice. Moreover, socially motivated hatred brings hatred in the opposite direction, like mirror cells. Eurocrime can help us to make visible the obligation to act. The Council must promote it."