The biggest threat to Europe is not Russia or China, but the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from any of the most basic values," said U.S. Vice president J.D. Vance in his speech at the Munich safety Conference on Friday.
The American Vice President's speech in Munich has devoted himself to the harsh criticism of European democracy, accusing Europe of moving distant from its own values, utilizing censorship, ignoring voters and persecuting Christians. He considered it the top threat to the continent.
"The threat I am most afraid about in Europe is not Russia, it is not China, it is not any another external actor. What I am most worried about is the threat from within, Europe's retreat from any of its most basic values, values shared with the United States of America," Vance stated. As 1 of the main examples, he pointed out the cancellation of the presidential elections in Romania and the fight against misinformation.
"It struck me that the erstwhile European Commissioner had late appeared on tv and said delighted that the Romanian Government had just cancelled the full election. He warned that if things did not go as planned, the same could happen in Germany. Now these statements, so lightly made, are shocking to the American ears," the vice president of the United States added.
As he said, although he welcomes the declarations of increased defence spending by Europe, it is unclear to him what Europe truly wants to defend. He besides criticised social media moderation policy in Europe, making EU comparisons to the USSR.
"Unfortunately, erstwhile I look at Europe today, it is sometimes not so clear what happened to the winners of the Cold War. I am looking at Brussels, where the European Commission's Commissioners inform citizens that in times of social unrest they intend to shut down social media at the minute erstwhile they encounter content that they think is, I quote, hateful," said Vance, identifying EU Commissioners with the word "commissioners", associated with russian polytruds (the EU Commissioner is an English Commissioner). He besides cited examples of punishments for Christians protesting abortion or Islam in Britain, Germany and Sweden.
"For many of us on the another side of the Atlantic it looks more and more like old profoundly rooted interests hiding behind ugly words from the russian Union, specified as disinformation, which simply doesn't like the thought that individual with an alternate viewpoint might express a different opinion, or, God forbid, vote in a different way, or, worse still, win elections," Vance said. He stated that the concerns of politicians about abroad interference in elections attest to the conviction of the fragility of their own democracy.
He besides accused European politicians of ignoring the voter's will on migration, tying this to the fresh Munich bombing. As he noted, more and more voters in Europe are voting on leaders promising to end "uncontrolled migration".
"If American democracy has survived 10 years of swindling from Greta Thunberg, you will last a fewer months Elona Muska," mocked the vice president. "But what German democracy, no democracy, American, German or European, will last is telling millions of voters that their thoughts and concerns, their aspirations, their requests for aid are invalid or unworthy to be considered democracy at all," he added, condemning attempts to make "sanitary cordons" against utmost parties.
For: PAP
photo profile of J.D. Vace
