Vance criticizes EU leaders for 'running in fear' from their own electorate
The US Vice President has criticized the EU for not maintaining democratic standards, pointing to the cancellation of elections in Romania. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
US Vice President J.D. Vance has criticized European leaders for fearing their own voters and failing to uphold democratic values, using the recent annulment of Romania’s presidential election as an example.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, he asserted that Europe’s greatest threat is internal, condemning what he referred to as the suppression of free speech.
Vance pointed to the cancelled Romanian presidential elections, stating they were annulled “on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors.”
He challenged the idea that democracy could be compromised by digital advertising from foreign entities, arguing that if that were the case, then one’s democracy “was not very strong to begin with.”
He encouraged European Union leaders to “embrace what your people tell you,” even when it is “surprising” and against their beliefs.
“If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you, nor, for that matter, is there anything that you can do for the American people who elected me and elected President Trump,” Vance remarked.
The US vice president criticized the “cavalier” comments from Brussels officials who sounded “delighted” about the cancellation of the Romanian presidential elections, as well as those regarding expansive content moderation powers and free speech restrictions in the US, Germany, and Sweden, deeming them “shocking to American ears.”
He dismissed criticism regarding Elon Musk’s alleged interference in European elections, stating, “if American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.”
Musk, an ally of US President Donald Trump, stirred controversy in Germany by endorsing the AfD party in this month's federal election, asserting that “the entire fate of Europe” hinges on the outcome. The German government accused the billionaire of election interference, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz claiming that freedom of speech does not include promoting “extreme-right positions.”
Vance’s remarks come amid political instability in Romania following the Constitutional Court's decision in December to annul the presidential election, which occurred after the unexpected November victory of independent candidate Calin Georgescu. The court cited intelligence documents alleging ‘irregularities’ in Georgescu’s campaign, with claims that he was funded by foreign actors, presumably from Russia.
However, none of the allegations were substantiated by solid evidence, and preliminary findings from an investigation into the election scandal indicated that the pro-Western National Liberal Party was responsible for the campaign “irregularities.”
Moscow has dismissed the accusations as “absolutely groundless.”
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, he asserted that Europe’s greatest threat is internal, condemning what he referred to as the suppression of free speech.
Vance pointed to the cancelled Romanian presidential elections, stating they were annulled “on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors.”
He challenged the idea that democracy could be compromised by digital advertising from foreign entities, arguing that if that were the case, then one’s democracy “was not very strong to begin with.”
He encouraged European Union leaders to “embrace what your people tell you,” even when it is “surprising” and against their beliefs.
“If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you, nor, for that matter, is there anything that you can do for the American people who elected me and elected President Trump,” Vance remarked.
The US vice president criticized the “cavalier” comments from Brussels officials who sounded “delighted” about the cancellation of the Romanian presidential elections, as well as those regarding expansive content moderation powers and free speech restrictions in the US, Germany, and Sweden, deeming them “shocking to American ears.”
He dismissed criticism regarding Elon Musk’s alleged interference in European elections, stating, “if American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.”
Musk, an ally of US President Donald Trump, stirred controversy in Germany by endorsing the AfD party in this month's federal election, asserting that “the entire fate of Europe” hinges on the outcome. The German government accused the billionaire of election interference, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz claiming that freedom of speech does not include promoting “extreme-right positions.”
Vance’s remarks come amid political instability in Romania following the Constitutional Court's decision in December to annul the presidential election, which occurred after the unexpected November victory of independent candidate Calin Georgescu. The court cited intelligence documents alleging ‘irregularities’ in Georgescu’s campaign, with claims that he was funded by foreign actors, presumably from Russia.
However, none of the allegations were substantiated by solid evidence, and preliminary findings from an investigation into the election scandal indicated that the pro-Western National Liberal Party was responsible for the campaign “irregularities.”
Moscow has dismissed the accusations as “absolutely groundless.”
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
