German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called it unacceptable for US Vice President J.D. Vance to compare democracy in Europe with the system that prevails in authoritarian regimes.
Points of attention
- German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius defends European democracy against criticism from US Vice President J.D. Vance.
- Pistorius emphasizes the importance of protecting democracy as the foundation of society from any attempts to damage or limit it.
- The defense minister highlights the diversity of opinions and freedom of expression as crucial components of a healthy democracy.
Pistorius reacted harshly to De Vance's words about democracy in Europe
The minister noted that he could not begin his speech as he had planned because he had to respond to the harsh criticism that JD Vance had made at the conference shortly before Pistorius' speech.
Democracy has just been called into question by the Vice President of the United States — and not just German democracy, but the democracy of all of Europe. If I understand him correctly, he is comparing the conditions that have developed in Europe with the conditions that are a priority in some authoritarian regimes. Ladies and gentlemen, this is unacceptable,” Pistorius said, after which the hall erupted in applause.
Boris Pistorius
Head of the German Ministry of Defense
He emphasized that what J.D. Vance said in his speech does not correspond to the democratic system that he witnesses in the current election campaign and in the German parliament every day.
In our democracy, every opinion has a voice, it allows parties, some of them extremist, like the Alternative for Germany, to campaign on an equal footing with other parties. That's democracy. Alice Weidel, the AfD's main candidate in the election, can be seen on German prime-time television.
However, Pistorius said democracy must be able to defend itself against extremists who want to destroy it. He said he was proud to live in a Europe "that defends its democracy every day against internal and external enemies."
Recall that in his speech in Munich, J.D. Vance sharply criticized the EU for its approach to countering propaganda, stating that Europe's measures restrict freedom of speech.
