At the Munich Security Conference on February 14, US Vice President JD Vance delivered a scathing critique of European Union leaders, accusing them of fearing their own voters and undermining democracy. Citing the annulment of Romania’s presidential election, Vance warned that Europe’s greatest threat is not external forces like Russia or China but rather internal suppression of free speech and democratic values.

Vance’s speech centered on the December 2024 Romanian presidential election, which saw independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu unexpectedly emerge as the frontrunner. Georgescu, who has criticized NATO and Romania’s support for Ukraine, won the first round with 22.94% of the vote, surpassing candidates from the ruling National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Social Democrats. However, the Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the results, citing intelligence reports of “irregularities.” These allegations, however, lacked concrete evidence, raising suspicions of political motivation rather than legitimate security concerns.

Vance condemned the decision, stating that elections should be decided by the people, not by judicial and intelligence institutions acting under pressure from Brussels. He highlighted a former senior European official’s remarks, celebrating the court’s ruling, as evidence that EU elites manipulate democratic processes to maintain power.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal on February 13, Vance argued that mainstream EU parties are “kind of terrified of their own people.” He criticized their tendency to dismiss dissenting views as “misinformation,” warning that such an approach erodes democratic legitimacy.

“If your democratic society can be taken down by $200,000 of social media ads, then you should think seriously about how strong your grip on or how........

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