MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President JD Vance's remarks at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) on Friday ignited sharp criticism from European officials, highlighting growing tensions between Washington and its European allies.

Addressing the MSC, Vance said Europe's biggest challenge was not external threats, but internal democratic erosion. He accused Europe of straying from "fundamental values" shared with the United States, voicing concerns over electoral policies, civil rights, and freedom of speech on the continent.

BACKLASH FROM EUROPE

Though U.S. President Donald Trump praised Vance's remarks as "good and brilliant," many European officials swiftly rebuked the speech, viewing it as an unwarranted attack from a longtime ally.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday criticized Vance for interfering in German politics, firmly rejecting external influence on the country's democracy. Speaking at the MSC, Scholz stressed that Germany will not tolerate outsiders intervening in "our democracy, our elections, and the democratic formation of opinion."

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had criticized the Trump administration and major tech companies before Vance's "hurting" speech, stating that the new U.S. administration's worldview disregards established rules, partnerships, and long-standing trust. He told the MSC that allowing such worldview to dominate would be detrimental to the international community.

Other European officials joined the chorus of condemnation. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called Vance's remarks "unacceptable," while Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen described the U.S. stance towards its allies as "confrontational and challenging."

Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani stated in Munich that Vance's remarks fueled unnecessary controversy, which serves no one's interest.

Reacting to Vance's comments on Europe's electoral and immigration policies, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Saturday emphasized that Europe would not accept external imposition. "No one is required to adopt our model, but no one can impose theirs on us," he posted on social media. "When one is self-confident, one doesn't feel threatened by criticism."

A RESET IN TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS?

Against the backdrop of recent U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, and Trump administration's controversial stances on Gaza and Ukraine, Vance's speech was seen as a further shift in transatlantic relations.

Reflecting the speech's impact, Politico Europe and BBC described it as an "attack" and a "blast," while The Guardian titled that it "laid bare the collapse of the transatlantic alliance."

Many experts noted that Vance's speech underscored deepening U.S.-Europe disputes, not only on security but also on societal and cultural issues.

Tomas Janeliunas, professor at Vilnius University's Institute of International Relations and Political Science, described the reaction in Munich as one of shock. "Those few applauses in the hall were very eloquent, how Europeans listen and can hardly believe what they hear," he said.

Croatian security expert Vlatko Cvrtila argued that Vance misunderstood European democracy. "He has no knowledge of European history at all - what happened in Germany and why Germany, has protective mechanisms, as does the rest of Europe."

Pero Kovacevic, former state secretary at the Croatian Ministry of Defense, said Vance's speech showed the U.S. frustration with Europe's perceived inability to address key challenges.

RIGHTWING SUPPORT FOR VANCE

While Vance's remarks were largely unwelcome among mainstream European leaders, they found support among rightwing politicians.

Some German media interpreted Vance's remarks - delivered just a week before Germany's elections - as an indirect endorsement of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

AfD leader Alice Weidel called Vance's speech "excellent," while France's far-right leader Jordan Bardella said Vance's observations on freedom of speech and migration were "quite lucid."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban aligned with Vance on immigrant. Posting on social media, he said: "We have been saying since 2015 that mass illegal migration is a recipe for disaster ... We are not happy that time has proven us right, but we are happy that Hungary stayed out of this madness."

Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon called Vance's remarks a "wakeup call" for Europe. "U.S. Vice President Vance's cold shower to Europeans at the expense of freedom of speech and democracy in Europe is still echoing strongly in Munich," she posted on social media.

Meanwhile, Zeljka Cvijanovic, chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), praised Vance's speech as "clear, realistic and inspiring," agreeing with his claim that Europe suppresses freedom of speech and nullifies elections that do not align with mainstream policies.

The Munich Security Conference has long been a key platform for U.S.-European dialogue on global security. However, this year's event laid bare widening gaps on crucial issues, exposing growing uncertainty in U.S.-European relations following Trump's return to the presidency. Enditem

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