German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has publicly rebuked US Vice President JD Vance for supporting a hard-right party in Germany that downplays the atrocities committed by the Nazis. Scholz accused Vance of interfering in Germany’s upcoming elections and violating a commitment to never allow fascists to lead the country.
During the Munich Security Conference, Scholz said that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party had trivialized Nazi atrocities and that Germany would not accept suggestions from outsiders on how to run its democracy. He also criticized Vance’s statement that there is no room for “firewalls” between European countries, which was seen as an attack on Germany’s laws that prohibit hate speech.
Vance had sparked controversy by telling German leaders to drop their firewall and allow the AfD party to enter their federal government. Scholz joined his rival Friedrich Merz in criticizing Vance’s speech, with Merz defending Germany’s laws on free speech and hate speech.
The criticism from German politicians comes as the AfD party is running second in polls ahead of next Sunday’s election. The US Vice President’s comments have also drawn criticism from other European leaders, who see them as an attack on democratic values.
In contrast to Vance’s speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky drew a standing ovation for his remarks, which focused on the threat from Russia’s military and the need for Europeans to take their security into their own hands.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/15/world/europe/scholz-vance-munich-germany.html