"Mind your own business" Habeck unpacks the full broadside against Trump vice-chancellor Vance

"What was that all about?" Many people asked themselves this after Vance's speech at the Munich Security Conference. For Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck, it was nothing less than a denunciation of the Western community of values.

DPA

15.02.2025, 14:29

15.02.2025, 15:18

dpa

German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck has seen the speech by US Vice-President J.D. Vance as a "turning point" in the relationship between Europe and the USA. "The American government (...) has virtually placed itself rhetorically and politically on the side of the autocrats," he said in an interview with the German Press Agency in Munich.

"The Western community of values has now been broken up here yesterday." US President Donald Trump's administration represents a different set of values and has a different political understanding than the previous consensus between Europe and the USA.

Habeck to Vance: "Stay out of this"

Europe must now react confidently. "We don't have to tremble and shudder now. Quite the opposite. We have every reason to say: this is not the German way of life, this is not the European way of life, this is not our constitution. Stay out of it and mind your own business."

On Friday, Vance accused the European allies of restricting freedom of expression and endangering democracy. Among other things, he criticized the exclusion of the AfD and BSW from the security conference and generally opposed the exclusion of parties: "There is no room for firewalls."

"Ugh..."When Scholz falters after Vance attack, the audience laughs

Habeck forbade such statements as interference. Germany decides for itself "who we elect, which coalitions are formed". What Vance had said was simply wrong, said the Green candidate for chancellor. "A reinterpretation of the truth, a reinterpretation of history, of the history of democracy". The first answer that had to be given to US President Donald Trump's deputy was: "It's none of your business. It's none of your business. Mind your own business."

Merz also criticized

Habeck also expressed understanding for the decision of the conference leadership to exclude the AfD. "The AfD is in part an unconstitutional party. A great deal of information concerning the core area of security is exchanged and discussed here," said the Vice Chancellor. "This decision can be made, but it is the decision of the organizers here."

CDU leader Friedrich Merz also sharply rejected Vance's criticism of democracy in Europe. "We respect the results of the presidential and congressional elections in the USA and expect the Americans to do the same here," emphasized Merz.

With regard to US President Donald Trump's plans to loosen control over social media, Merz made it clear: "Freedom of expression remains part of our open democratic society. But fake news, hate speech and criminal offenses remain subject to legal restrictions and control by independent courts." He also clearly criticized the expulsion of the AP news agency from the White House: "We would never expel journalists from our federal press conference."

A slip of the tongue during a panel discussion caused amusement: moderator Katarzyna Pisarska mistakenly called Friedrich Merz "Chancellor" instead of CDU party chairman. After an immediate correction and an apologetic smile, Merz humorously acknowledged the gaffe: "Thank you for the compliment. But there are still 60 million votes between us." The audience reacted with laughter.