“We can disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square,” said Vance. “Okay or disagree.”
Vance criticized EU’s “commissioners” for quelling free expression and accused that “throughout Europe, freedom of expression, I fear, is in retirement.”
‘Change course’
The German president, Frank-Walter, Steinmeier, had made it clear that what had been Berlin’s most important diplomatic relationship had deteriorated strongly since Trump returned to the White House.
“The new US administration has a very different world vision from ours,” said Steinmeier. “One that does not take into account the established rules, the association and the established trust.”
The German head of state urged European leaders to keep calm in front of a snowstorm of Washington’s disruptive policy advertisements.
“We should not freeze in fear, or as Cube the English saying: let’s not be a deer trapped in the headlights.”
Vance, without flinching, in his subsequent speech urged European countries, including the host of the conference, Germany, who faces the elections on February 23, to “change course” about immigration.
His speech occurred a day after a 24 -year -old Afghan man was arrested in Munich for a car boat attack that wounded 36 people.
“How many times should these stunned setbacks suffer before changing the course and taking our shared civilization in a new direction?” said.
“Why did this happen first? It is a horrible story, but it is one that we have heard too many times in Europe and unfortunately too too many times in the United States.
“An asylum applicant, often a young man of about 20 years already known by the police, rearranges a car to a crowd and destroys a community.”
Defending the political parties that oppose immigration and their supporters, Vance added: “No voter in this continent went to the urn to open the gates to millions of unprecedented immigrants.”
‘Meddling’
Germany previously warned against foreign “intrusion” in its policy after Vance requested a more important role for the anti -immigrant parties in Europe, nine days before the German general elections.
Vance told the Wall road diary: “Unfortunately, the will of voters has been ignored by many of our European friends” on the subject and urged governments not to exclude anti -immigrant parties.
The extreme right alternative for Germany (AFD) seems established for its best result of around 20% in the elections and has received an enthusiastic support from the technological billionaire and Trump Elon Musk’s ally.
Vance said that Germany should get used to the Chief of Tesla and Spacex who intervened, as well as the United States tolerated criticism for Swedish climatic activist Greta Thunberg.
“If American democracy can survive have years of Greta Thunberg rules, you can survive a few months from Elon Musk,” he said.
“But what German democracy, what is no democracy, American, German or European, will survive that is to tell millions of voters that their thoughts and concerns, their aspirations, their supplications of relief are invalid or unworthy.”
Vance also mentioned a heated German pre -election debate about the need for conventional political parties to maintain a so -called non -cooperation “Firewall” with the AFD.
“Democracy is based on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters,” he said. “There is no space for Firewalls.”
Pistorius criticized Vance, saying that “the American vice president was called to democracy throughout Europe.”
“He talks about the annihilation of democracy. And if I have understood correctly, it is comparing conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regimes … that is not acceptable. ”
-Agencia France-Presse
