U.S. Vice President JD Vance has once again expressed his dissatisfaction with what he perceives as censorship in Germany, linking it to the potential role the United States could play in European security politics.
“Naturally, we will continue to have important alliances with Europe,” said the Republican vice president during a presentation in Washington.
Over the weekend, Vance stirred concern and unease among European leaders and security experts following his speech at the Munich Security Conference. However, in Washington, he emphasized that the strength of the U.S.-European alliance depends on whether they steer their societies in the right direction, adding that “the entire defense of Germany is subsidized by American taxpayers.”
He went on to criticize Germany’s freedom of speech rules, which he argued are much stricter than those in the United States.
“There are thousands of American troops in Germany today. Do you think the American taxpayer will support this if you get thrown in jail in Germany for a bad Twitter post?” he questioned.
In Munich, Vance sharply criticized European allies, accusing them of restricting freedom of speech and disregarding democratic values. He stated that “there is no room for firewalls,” a remark interpreted in Germany as a critique of major political parties for erecting a “firewall” against cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Days later, he accused the German judiciary of criminalizing free expression.
