Delivering a speech in Germany, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized European governments for suppressing free speech and discriminating against Christians. He urged leaders across Europe to reverse the ongoing crackdown on conservative voices and religious freedoms.
In his address at the Munich Security Conference in Munich on Friday, Vance noted that conservatives have been investigated, arrested, prosecuted or fined for protesting abortion and posting views on social media.
He also criticized attempts to exclude populist parties from political collaboration, saying they pose a threat to democracy.
Last month, the European Union introduced fresh measures to enforce the Digital Services Act, which limits American speech on social media platforms. While EU lawmakers claimed the initiative was to target “foreign interference” and “illegal content,” it raised concerns among free speech advocates in the U.S. The Act compels social media companies to remove “illegal content” or face penalties of up to 6% of their global annual turnover.
Paul Coleman, executive director of the legal advocacy group ADF International, warned at the time that a “new bipolar order of speech” was unfolding. “On the one hand, Europe is doubling down on censorship, while the U.S. is recommitting to its free speech heritage.”
“I can tell you plainly: There can be no security if you are afraid of the voices, the opinions, and the conscience that guide your own people,” Vance said in Munich. “What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values.”
The vice president asserted that Europe faces a crisis “of its own making,” pointing to censorship and disregard for voter sentiment as bigger dangers than external adversaries.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier disputed Vance’s stance, saying, “It is clear that the new American administration holds a worldview that is very different from our own …,” The Wall Street Journal reported. He warned Europeans against losing sight of threats from Russia and China, expressing concern that friction with Washington could weaken long-standing partnerships.
Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defense minister, also voiced strong objections to Vance’s remarks, interrupting him with loud cries of “No!” and later defending Europe’s approach to defending democracy, said WSJ.
Vance referred to a suspected terrorist attack in Munich, where an Afghan immigrant drove into a crowd and injured more than two dozen people. “No voter in Europe went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of economic migrants,” acknowledging growing tensions to immigration policies.
Alice Weidel, co-leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, called Vance’s address “excellent speech!” on X.
Vance called on German politicians to abandon the so-called firewall, an agreement among established parties not to cooperate with the AfD, insisting that voter preferences be respected. He cited examples of anti-Christian discrimination, noting that individuals in the United Kingdom and Sweden had been punished for expressing religiously motivated views.
Last October, Adam Smith-Connor, a British Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, was found guilty of praying silently near an abortion clinic in Dorset, England. He was given a conditional discharge, meaning he would be sentenced only if convicted of offenses within the following two years.
Vance reinforced uncertainty about future American support, suggesting that governments curtailing religious freedom and free speech should not expect automatic backing on security matters.
Referring to protests in Germany over Elon Musk’s involvement in local politics, Vance said, “Trust me, if American democracy survived Greta Thunberg’s scolding for the better part of a decade, I guarantee you, German democracy will survive Elon Musk.”
Originally published by The Christian Post
