German opposition leader joins rebuke of Vance criticism
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FILE PHOTO: German conservative candidate for chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz speaks in Neubrandenburg, Germany, February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz on Saturday joined his domestic political rivals in condemning U.S. Vice President JD Vance's attack on Europe's stance toward hate speech and the far right.
"We stick to the rules imposed by our democratic institutions," Merz said in a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference. Polls show his conservative bloc in the lead ahead of general elections in Germany on February 23.
Germany is a staunch defender of freedom of speech "but fake news and hate speech remain subject to legal restraints," he added.
His main political rival, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier on Saturday delivered a strong rebuke to Vance's attack on how governments in Europe seek to counter bids for political influence by far-right groups such as Germany's AfD.
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; editing by David Evans)
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