J.D. Vance on the Threat from Within

At the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance delivered an address that went beyond typical security discussions to highlight what he termed "the threat from within" – how the European Union has gradually strayed from its founding principles, creating internal challenges that may ultimately prove more damaging than external threats.

• Abandoning Core Principles
• The Consequences for European Citizens
• The Crisis of Legitimacy
• A Return to First Principles

Abandoning Core Principles: Vance expressed concern that the EU has drifted significantly from the vision of its founders. What began as a project to promote peace, prosperity, and cooperation between sovereign nations has evolved into something quite different. According to Vance, the EU's current trajectory shows several troubling departures from its original mission:

• From economic cooperation to regulatory dominance – The EU has transformed from a common market focused on removing trade barriers into a regulatory superstate that micromanages countless aspects of economic and social life
• From subsidiarity to centralization – Decision-making has increasingly moved from local and national levels to Brussels, contradicting the principle that matters should be handled by the smallest, lowest, or least centralized competent authority
• From serving citizens to serving bureaucracy – The growing distance between EU institutions and ordinary citizens has created policies that often prioritize ideological goals over practical outcomes for Europeans

The Consequences for European Citizens: Vance highlighted several concrete examples of how these shifts have negatively impacted everyday Europeans:

• Rising costs of living – European energy policies have substantially increased costs for families and businesses
• Economic stagnation – Excessive regulation has hampered growth and innovation, contributing to economic underperformance compared to other major economies
• Democratic deficit – Major policy decisions affecting millions are increasingly made by unelected officials with limited accountability to voters
• Diminishing opportunities – Many Europeans face stagnant wages and fewer economic prospects despite promises of greater prosperity through integration

The Crisis of Legitimacy: Perhaps most concerning for Vance is the growing crisis of public confidence in European institutions. When citizens feel their concerns are ignored and their elected national governments overruled, it undermines the very legitimacy of the European project:

• Referendums disregarded – When national votes have gone against further integration, the results have often been circumvented rather than respected
• Ideological conformity – Member states that question certain EU policies face intense pressure to conform rather than being respected as sovereign democratic nations
• Technocratic governance – Complex, opaque decision-making processes make it difficult for citizens to understand how decisions are made or hold decision-makers accountable

A Return to First Principles: Vance concluded by calling for the EU to return to its founding vision – a Europe of cooperating sovereign nations rather than a centralized superstate. He suggested several principles that should guide reform:

• Restore real subsidiarity – Return decision-making to the appropriate level, closest to the citizens affected
• Prioritize economic prosperity – Focus on policies that deliver tangible benefits to ordinary Europeans rather than abstract ideological goals
• Respect democratic decisions – When member states or their citizens express democratic preferences, these should be respected even when they diverge from Brussels' vision
• Serve citizens, not systems – Measure success by outcomes for European citizens rather than by the expansion of EU competencies