Negative campaigning is a worrying trend of electoral campaigns worldwide. Also in a number of CoE member states, the campaign atmosphere has been lately dominated by political polarisation, defamation or denigration of political opponents and negative campaigning. Extreme examples recently include Georgia, Hungary, Poland and Serbia. Some political parties even used inflammatory and racist rhetoric, targeting ethnic, religious or other minorities in the respective country. Hate speech against political opponents and national minorities is especially grave and reprehensible.