BERLIN – U.S. Vice President JD Vance has criticized Germany's free speech laws during an appearance at a conservative gathering outside Washington, linking the country's limits against hate speech to American troops stationed there.
German law sets restrictions on free speech, including the long-standing ban on Holocaust denial and any glorification of the country's Nazi past.
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The limits are an effort to curb extremism and incitement, and have led to authorities policing the internet for hate speech and arresting the people allegedly posting, and reposting, such comments.
“There are thousands upon thousands of American troops in Germany today. Do you think that the American taxpayer is going to stand for that, if you get thrown in jail in Germany for posting a mean tweet? Of course they’re not," Vance told activists gathered Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
There are nearly 84,000 U.S. service members in the European Theater, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. The figure fluctuates, however, and has increased since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war on Feb. 24, 2022.
The U.S. military is stationed throughout Germany, according to U.S. European Command, including at Ramstein Air Base. A count of U.S. service members in Germany wasn't immediately available on Friday.
Vance's remarks followed his speech earlier this month at the Munich Security Conference, where he lectured European leaders about the state of democracy and free speech across the continent. His comments were met with rebukes from multiple European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“Obviously we’re going to continue to have important alliances with Europe,” Vance told CPAC moderator Mercedes Schlapp. “But I really do think the strength of those alliances is doing to depend on whether we take our societies in the right direction.”
Vance then claimed that “Germany’s entire defense is subsidized by the American taxpayers."