In a scorching speech on Friday, American vice president JD Vance told European leaders that “there is a new sheriff in the city under the leadership of Donald Trump” and warned governments that internal threats to democracy, such as electoral cancellations And censorship are greater threats to their countries than external antagonists such as China and Russia.
“The threat that worries me the most about in front of Europe is not Russia, it is not China, it is not any other external actor,” said Vance, speaking at the Munich Security Conference. “What worries me is the threat from the inside: the withdrawal of Europe of some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.
“I have heard a lot about what you need to defend yourself and, of course, that is important. But what seemed a little less clear … Is it exactly what they are defending? “
In his own comments to the conference, Vance lectures European officials on freedom of expression and illegal migration in the continent, warning elected officials to run the risk of losing public support if they do not quickly change the course.
He went specifically to December 2024 Cancellation of Romania's electionsthat were annulled by the main court of the country after the accusations of Russian interference, dismissing misinformation concerns such as “ugly words of the Soviet era.”
“Discard people, discard their concerns … close the media, close the elections … it doesn't protect anything. It is the safest way to destroy democracy,” he said.
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“If you are running for fear of your own voters, there is nothing that the United States can do for you.”
The vice president also warned European officials against illegal migration, saying that the electorate did not vote to open “gates to millions of unprecedented immigrants” and refer to an attack on Thursday in Munich, where the suspect is a 24 -year -old Afghan that arrived in Germany as an asylum applicant in 2016.
He stressed that Europe must “intensify” in the management of its own security, taking a combative tone for an increase in transatlantic discord around trade, defense and other problems.
And despite the main repeated attacks of Trump's allies against journalists, democrats and perceived critics, Vance attacked the predecessor of his boss, former president Joe Biden, who said Vance “seemed desperate to silence people to say what They think. “
“There is a new sheriff in the city under the leadership of Donald Trump,” Vance said. “We can disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square. Agree or disagree. “
NBC News reports that the vice president's comments “were met with an icy reception and only scattered applause. “
The future of Ukraine was at the top of the agenda in Munich after a phone call between Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin this week, where they pledged to work together to put an end to the conflict, but Vance did not mention it.
Instead, he said that Brussels had closed social networks for hateful content and criticized Germany for what he described as raids against his own citizens for publishing antipheminist comments, Sweden for condemning a Christian activist and the United Kingdom for retreating on religious rights .
The vice president's speech caused immediate criticism in Europe.
“Vance's Attack on European democracy In Munich, perversely, the language of democracy itself should not leave any doubt that the objective of this administration is to destroy the EU and its liberal democracies, “Nathalie Tocci, director of the think tank of Istituto internal internali .
In response to Vance's speech, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told the conference: “If I understood it correctly, it is comparing parts of Europe with authoritarian regimes. This is not acceptable. “
–With Reuters and Associated Press files
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