German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that Europe is ready to fight, if necessary, for its core values - freedom and democracy. His statement was a clear response to criticism from the Donald Trump administration towards the European Union, reports "Reuters", quoted by News.bg.
Merz made his statement during the ceremony for presenting the "Charlemagne" prize to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He stressed that Europe is not seeking an escalation of trade disputes with the United States, as such a development would be harmful to both countries.
In his speech, the Chancellor recalled the words of US Vice President J.D. Vance, delivered in Munich in February. Vance then accused Europe of facing a "threat from within" and said freedom of speech on the continent was "in retreat."
Merz's remarks came a day after Washington announced new visa restrictions for foreign nationals accused of censoring Americans, a measure that could also affect European officials regulating the activities of technology companies.
“US Vice President J.D. Vance asked us: What do we Europeans stand for? What do we stand for together?“, Merz said.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we do not just have an answer. We have the strongest possible answer: in Europe, we defend what we have built together over centuries - with efforts, mistakes and victories: freedom and democracy. And if necessary, we will fight for them.“