During a speech at the Munich Security Conference, US Vice President JD Vance expressed concerns over what he perceived as a crackdown on free speech by European leaders. Vance criticized European countries for what he described as repressive actions against individuals with unorthodox political views.
He specifically mentioned the United Kingdom's arrest of a citizen for protesting near an abortion clinic and Sweden's conviction of an anti-Islam campaigner who burned Korans in public. Vance also highlighted instances where European leaders allegedly pressured social media companies to censor content, citing the example of the Covid-19 lab leak theory.
Vance accused European leaders of using terms like 'misinformation' and 'disinformation' to suppress alternative viewpoints and prevent individuals from expressing different opinions or voting in a way that goes against the status quo. He argued that shutting down unorthodox viewpoints could ultimately harm democracy.
In a somewhat lighthearted remark, Vance compared the resilience of European democracy to enduring criticism from figures like Greta Thunberg and Elon Musk, suggesting that differing viewpoints should be embraced rather than silenced.
