Part 2/8:
Vance's speech highlighted what he described as a troubling trend in Europe — a drift towards authoritarianism disguised as liberalism. He pointed to recent events, particularly in the United Kingdom, where instances of restricted freedom of expression have raised alarms. Vance's assertion was that the very democracy the U.S. and EU claim to defend has been compromised, with elite decision-makers more inclined to silence dissenting voices than to foster genuine democratic debate.