GENEVA

In a fiery speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, US Vice President JD Vance criticized European politicians, institutions, and courts for what he sees as a retreat from democratic principles.

❝If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg's scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk❞

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Vance specifically called out the recent annulment of the presidential election result in Romania, arguing that it undermined the foundations of democracy.

He also expressed concern over alleged warnings of canceling elections in Germany if the far-right AfD wins, arguing such incidents demonstrated a troubling trend of European leaders dismissing the will of their citizens.

"Now, these cavalier statements are shocking to American ears," Vance said.

Regarding foreign influence on elections, he added: "If your democracy can be destroyed with a few $100,000 of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn't very strong to begin with," Vance said.

He drew a comparison, saying: "Trust me, I say this with all humor, if American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg scolding. You guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk."

He was referring to Musk's open support to the German far-right party and his live stream on X with AfD leader Alice Weidel, provoking discussions over possible electoral interference ahead of snap elections on Feb. 23.

The vice president also took aim at European policies that he believes restrict free speech, such as shutting down social media during civil unrest and cracking down on online comments.

"For years, we've been told that everything we fund and support is in the name of our shared democratic values, everything from our Ukraine policy to digital censorship is billed as a defense of democracy," he said. "But when we see European courts canceling elections and senior officials threatening to cancel others, we ought to ask whether we're holding ourselves to an appropriately high standard."

Last month, the European Court of Human Rights rejected an appeal by Romania's presidential candidate, Calin Georgescu, to overturn a domestic court decision to annul a presidential election.

Georgescu was the frontrunner after the first round of the Nov. 24 election. But Romania's highest court annulled the ballot before the second round in December, citing allegations of Russian interference.

Vance emphasized the importance of democratic mandates, arguing that without responsiveness to citizens' voices, European nations will struggle to address challenges such as economic competitiveness and secure supply chains.

"... you need democratic mandates to accomplish anything of value in the coming years," he said.

The vice president also called for a more proactive approach to the pressing issue of mass migration, which he believes has had significant consequences for European societies.

On Thursday's car attack that injured 36 people in Munich, Vance said: "An asylum seeker, often a young man in his mid-20s, already known to police, rams a car into a crowd and shatters a community. How many times must we suffer these appalling setbacks before we change course and take our shared civilization in a new direction?"

He urged European leaders to embrace the wisdom and voices of their citizens, even when those views may be surprising or disagreeable. He expressed confidence in the future if leaders uphold the principles of democracy and listen to the people they serve.

"To believe in democracy is to understand that each of our citizens has wisdom and has a voice, and if we refuse to listen to that voice, even our most successful fights will secure very little," he said.

"Have we learned nothing that thin mandates produce unstable results, but there is so much of value that can be accomplished with the kind of democratic mandate that I think will come from being more responsive to the voices of your citizens if you're going to enjoy competitive economies, if you're going to enjoy affordable energy and secure supply chains, then you need mandates to govern, because you have to make difficult choices to enjoy all of these things," he said.