‘New sheriff in the town’: Vance chastises European leaders at Munich conference over ‘threat from within’

In a ruthless ideological attack, US vice president JD Vance has accused European leaders of stifling free expression, failing to stop illegal migration, and fleeing out of fear of people’ actual views.

In an admonishing address on Friday, he portrayed European politics tainted by political correctness, media control, and postponed elections, openly questioning if present European principles were worth the US defending.

Arguing that the actual challenge to Europe came not from foreign powers like Russia or China, but from Europe’s own internal retreat from some of its “most fundamental values,” he frequently questioned if the US and Europe still had a shared goal.

“What I worry about is the threat from within,” Vance said.

Speaking to European political leaders, military officers and diplomats at the Munich Security Conference, Vance surprised the audience by dismissing the risk of Russian political interference in Europe, taking a similar stance to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has railed against claims by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia had interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election.

Vance adopted a confrontational tone, accusing European politicians of what he said was a fear of their own people and warned them that the real threat against their democracy was not from Russia or China.

“The threat I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America,” Vance said.

Vance stressed that Europe must “step up” in managing its own security, a key bone of contention. But he mostly lambasted the EU’s members on culture war issues.

“There is a new sheriff in town under Donald Trump’s leadership,” said Vance in a speech that stunned the room, and was later condemned as “unacceptable” by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

The future of Ukraine was at the top of the agenda in Munich after a phone call between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin this week where they pledged to work together to end the conflict, but Vance did not bring it up.

Instead, he said Brussels had shut down social media over hateful content, and criticized Germany for what he described as raids against its own citizens for posting anti-feminist comments, Sweden for convicting a Christian activist, and United Kingdom for backsliding on religious rights.

The vice president’s speech sparked immediate criticism in Europe.

“Vance’s attack on European democracy in Munich, perversely twisting the language of democracy itself should leave no doubt whatsoever that the aim of this administration is to destroy the EU and its liberal democracies,” said Nathalie Tocci, director of Istituto Affari Internazionali think tank.

Responding to Vance’s speech, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told the conference: “If I understood him correctly he is comparing parts of Europe with authoritarian regimes. This is not acceptable.”

Vance specifically targeted the December cancellation of Romania’s elections, which were annulled by the country’s top court after accusations of Russian meddling, dismissing worries of disinformation as “ugly Soviet-era words”.

“If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you,” Vance said.

Romania’s Nov. 24 vote was annulled after declassified security documents said Romania had been a target of “aggressive hybrid Russian attacks” during the election period.

Vance questioned Washington’s support and funding of what was billed as a defense of democracy and support of Ukraine in the name of shared values.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had earlier made clear that Berlin’s relationship with Washington had sharply deteriorated since Trump’s return.

“The new American administration has a very different world view to ours,” Steinmeier said. “One that has no regard for established rules, partnership and established trust.”

With inputs from agencies