US vice president urges European politicians, institutions, courts to be 'more democratic'

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - 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.

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 the 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.

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."

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.

Vance 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.

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.