Vance takes MAGA to Munich with speech scolding European leaders
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Vance speaks at the Munich Security Conference. Photo: Tobias Schwarz/AFP via Getty
Munich - Vice President JD Vance shocked many European leaders who came to his speech at the Munich Security Conference expecting to hear about Ukraine, when he instead focused on what he called "the threat from within" Europe.
Why it matters: Vance dove headfirst into the politics of America's European allies, lambasting what he described a "retreat" from shared democratic values when it comes to issues like abortion, social media censorship and immigration.
- "If American democracy survived 10 years of scolding from Gretta Thunberg, Europe can survive several months of Elon Musk," Vance joked. Almost nobody in the room laughed.
Driving the news: Many European officials hoped to hear from Vance about the Trump administration's strategy for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Vance said only one sentence on that issue, before lecturing his audience over mass immigration and free speech.
- Vance mentioned the cancelation of the elections in Romania, raids by German police over alleged hate speech by anti-feminist activists, and the reported arrests in the U.K. of anti-abortion activists.
- "Free speech, I fear, is in retreat in Europe," he said. He claimed the same was true in the U.S. under former President Biden, but "there is a new sheriff in town in Washington."
Vance argued European leaders should "allow citizens to speak their mind" and be more responsive to the voices of their people — including by allowing parties deemed extreme into government.
- "There is no room for firewalls," Vance said. "If you are running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you."
- Vance contended in his speech that Europe's real problem is mass migration, but mainstream parties still refuse to work with anti-immigrant parties.
Between the lines: Germany's major parties have collectively refused to govern alongside the far-right AfD.
- The party is second in the polls ahead of elections next week, and gained the endorsement of Elon Musk, but Germany's intelligence services consider it an extremist group.
- Vance also accused the Munich Security Conference of not allowing far-right and far-left politicians to attend the annual event.
The other side: A senior German politician who listened to Vance speech summed it up with one sentence: "It was a big boost to the far right in Germany and in Europe".
