Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has thrown his help behind US Vice President JD Vance following his controversial remarks on the Munich Safety Convention, calling for a revival of Europe’s conventional values.
Musk took to social media platform X, posting, “Make Europe Nice Once more! MEGA, MEGA, MEGA!” in response to Vance’s speech.
Vance delivered a scathing critique of European governments, accusing them of proscribing free speech and undermining democracy from inside. Talking earlier than an viewers of political leaders, navy officers, and diplomats, he dismissed considerations about Russian interference in European politics, a place aligning with former US President Donald Trump’s scepticism in direction of intelligence studies on the matter.
A Stark Warning to Europe
Vance argued that Europe’s best menace was not exterior powers like Russia or China, however fairly a self-inflicted erosion of democratic rules. “The menace I fear probably the most about vis-à-vis Europe will not be Russia, it’s not China, it’s not another exterior actor. What I fear about is the menace from inside, the retreat of Europe from a few of its most elementary values, values shared with america of America,” he said.
He went on to criticise Brussels for clamping down on social media underneath the pretext of countering hate speech and accused Germany of heavy-handed measures towards its personal residents for expressing controversial opinions. Sweden and the UK have been additionally known as out for what he described as a deterioration of spiritual freedoms.
His remarks left many within the viewers visibly stunned, with studies suggesting there was no applause in one of many convention’s aspect rooms the place attendees listened in.
European Leaders Reply
Vance’s statements have been met with swift condemnation from European officers. Nathalie Tocci, director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali suppose tank, known as his phrases a direct assault on European democracy. “Vance’s assault on European democracy in Munich, perversely twisting the language of democracy itself, ought to go away little question by any means that the intention of this administration is to destroy the EU and its liberal democracies,” she mentioned.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius additionally rejected Vance’s comparisons. “If I understood him accurately, he’s evaluating components of Europe with authoritarian regimes. This isn’t acceptable,” he remarked.
Romanian Election Controversy
Vance was notably crucial of the annulment of Romania’s November presidential election, which was overturned by the nation’s prime courtroom over allegations of Russian interference. He dismissed the reasoning behind the choice, likening it to Soviet-era ways.
“In case you’re working in concern of your individual voters, there’s nothing America can do for you,” he declared, questioning whether or not elections may actually be thought-about democratic in the event that they have been so simply disrupted by international affect.
