In Central Europe, antisemitism does not always announce itself openly. It circulates in coded language, in conspiracy narratives, in attacks against “elites” or “global forces” that rarely mention Jews directly—yet draw on antisemitic ideas. For police officers, civil servants or journalists, recognising it can be difficult. Responding to it, even more so.The Combat Antisemitism in Central Europe (ComAnCE) project was created to address this blind spot.Implemented between 2019 and 2021 and coordinated by the Bratislava Policy Institute, ComAnCE brought together experts and practitioners from the four Visegrád countries—Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland—to answer a practical question: how do we identify, document and respond to antisemitism as it exists today, especially online? Naming what often goes unseenOne of the project’s central contributions was conceptual. Rather than relying only on traditional definitions of antisemitism, ComAnCE focused on what researchers increasingly describe as “antisemitism without Jews”—hostile narratives embedded in conspiracy theories, anti-system rhetoric or extremist ideologies, where Jews are implied rather than named.To make these patterns visible, the project developed:a categorisation framework for antisemitic hate speech and hate crime,a set of indicators that practitioners could use in real situations,and a comparative research approach adapted to the political and cultural contexts of the V4 region.This framework allowed antisemitism to be identified not only after harm had occurred, but earlier—at the level of discourse. From online spaces to public institutionsResearch confirmed what many suspected, but few could demonstrate clearly: antisemitic narratives circulate widely online, especially on social media platforms such as Facebook, and are not confined to extremist fringe groups. In many cases, they function as entry points, normalising ideas that later connect users to more radical ideologies.ComAnCE responded by combining large-scale online content analysis with a public opinion survey across V4 countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary), creating a rare regional picture of attitudes, narratives and digital dynamics.These findings were not kept within academic circles. They fed directly into:a multilingual online database documenting antisemitic hate speech and hate crime (Czech, Slovakian, Hungarian, Polish, English),tailored training modules for police officers, public authorities and NGOs,and policy briefs offering concrete recommendations for governments and civil society. Training that reflects realityA key strength of the project was its attention to practice. Training programmes were built around real examples drawn from the database, allowing participants to work with material they might encounter in their own country, language and institutional context.Rather than offering generic guidance, the trainings helped practitioners understand how antisemitism manifests locally, how to recognise it online, and how to respond within existing legal and institutional frameworks. What the project changedBy the end of the project, ComAnCE had contributed to:stronger cooperation between law enforcement, civil society and researchers,improved capacity to detect and document antisemitic hate speech and crime,a shared regional understanding of how antisemitic narratives travel across borders,and a sustainable infrastructure—database, indicators, training tools—usable beyond the project’s lifetime.Perhaps most importantly, it helped shift the conversation. Antisemitism was no longer treated only as a historical or marginal issue, but as a contemporary risk factor within broader processes of radicalisation. Why it matters beyond Central EuropeThe dynamics identified by ComAnCE are not unique to the V4 region. Coded hate, online conspiracy narratives and indirect antisemitism appear across Europe. What ComAnCE offers is a method: observe carefully, name precisely, train concretely, and coordinate regionally.For policymakers and practitioners working on hate speech, extremism or democratic resilience, the lesson is clear: what cannot be identified cannot be prevented. Implementing organisationBratislava Policy Institute - Independent research institute focusing on public policy, democracy and extremism in Central Europewww.bpi.skGet in touch!Viera Zuborova - Analystzuborovabpi [dot] sk (zuborova[at]bpi[dot]sk) General publications17 March 2026Combat Antisemitism in Central Europe (ComAnCE)
