Europe’s Left Whines As Christians Defend Christmas

European right-wing leaders are facing accusations of exploiting Christmas for political purposes as they increasingly center the holiday in their campaigns, according to Politico.

From condemning the phrase “Holiday Season” to hosting Christmas-themed political events, leaders like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have made defending Christmas a core part of their political identity. Critics view this as virtue signaling designed to boost party support, the outlet reported. (RELATED: What Christmas Looks Like In The World’s Most Dangerous Countries For Christians)

“How can my culture offend anyone?” Meloni said of public nativity scenes, arguing such displays teach children the real meaning of Christmas.

Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party held a Christmas-themed political festival called Atreju, complete with a Santa visit, ice-skating, and a Christmas tree lit in the colors of the Italian flag.

Un grazie sincero a tutti coloro che oggi sono venuti ad #Atreju ma che, per i limiti di spazio, non sono riusciti a entrare in sala.
La vostra presenza fuori, così numerosa e partecipe, è stata un segnale forte che ho sentito chiaramente.
Grazie di cuore per l’affetto, il… pic.twitter.com/x22cjKiHeu

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) December 14, 2025

One attendee drawn to the festival by its Christmas decor told Politico he hadn’t realized it was political and didn’t want to be associated with the party running it.

“For us, traditions represent our roots, who we are, who we have been, and the history that made us what we are today,” Brothers of Italy MP Marta Schifone told the outlet. “Those roots must be celebrated and absolutely defended.”

While political leaders say the culture would benefit from embracing traditional Christianity, Politico characterized such messaging as “almost beside the point,” claiming the leaders themselves are “not especially devout” and use Christianity as a “civilizational shorthand that draws a boundary between ‘us’ and ‘them.’”

Daniele Albertazzi, a populism researcher at the University of Surrey in England, told Politico that “the radical right largely kept its distance from the church” in the 1980s and 1990s.

“That changed between 2010–15, following Islamic terrorist attacks in Europe, which were framed as a clash of civilizations,” Albertazzi said. “Christianity became a cultural marker, a way to portray themselves as defenders of traditional family, tradition and identity.”

Grazie #Atreju! pic.twitter.com/CRjgccFiOp

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) December 14, 2025

Albertazzi called Meloni’s Christmas festival a “very intelligent” political move.

“They have tried to reverse the stigma of their past [on the far right] by becoming a broad-church modern conservative party, and this is part of the repackaging,” Albertazzi said.

Other conservative parties in Europe, including France’s National Rally and Spain’s Vox, have also resisted efforts to replace religious imagery with neutral seasonal language, fighting to preserve nativity scenes in town halls. (RELATED: Letting The Terrorists Win: Christmas Markets Ruined Following Attacks)

Germany’s Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, has criticized the secularization of traditional Christmas markets, framing it as appeasing Islamic traditions at the expense of Christian heritage, according to Politico.

The outlet noted that while the left points to Christmas commercialization as a similar exploitation of holiday spirit for profit, European conservative leaders continue connecting their policies to Christmas values.

“We’re not embarrassed to say ‘Merry Christmas,’” Brothers of Italy Senator Lucio Malan said at the festival, according to Politico. “I have always promoted religious freedom and know not everyone is Christian. But Christmas is the holiday people care about most. Let’s not forget its origins.”