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At the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, Vice President of the United States J.D. Vance criticized European leaders for limiting freedom of speech, stating: “people dismissing voters’ concerns, shutting down their media, protects nothing. It is the most surefire way to destroy democracy.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired back: “We will not accept that people who look at Germany from the outside intervene in our democracy.”
Vance’s statements ignited fierce debate on the fundamental differences between free speech protection in Germany and the U.S., and what measures help to best safeguard democracy. Have Germany’s protections, despite their intent, given rise to anti-democratic voices, such as the right-wing party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD)? How has U.S. democracy fared with the rise of hate speech?
Join us for a discussion on these complex issues with CES Director Daniel Ziblatt and John F. Kennedy Memorial Policy Fellow Melanie Amann, one of Germany’s most lauded journalists, political commentators, and author of the acclaimed book Fear for Germany: The Truth About the AfD.
