The United States has pointed out on Tuesday a “deterioration” of human rights in several European countries, notably accusing France, Germany and the United Kingdom to restrict freedom of expression. These observations appear in the 2024 report of the US State Department, a reference document but which already arouses strong criticism for its alignment with the priorities of President Donald Trump.
For France, Washington evokes “credible information reporting serious restrictions on freedom of expression” and notes an increase in anti -Semitic acts. In the United Kingdom, the White House is concerned about the new online security law, intended to protect minors, but strongly criticized by Elon Musk’s social network X. Germany is also targeted, in a context where vice-president JD Vance had affirmed, during a speech in Munich, that freedom of expression “fell” in Europe, taking up arguments close to AFD, who left recently classified “Right extremist”.
Frank discussions to come
An American official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that Washington intended to have “frank discussions with our partners and allies on what we consider as censorship or disadvantaged certain voices, whether political or religious”. Published each year in the spring and mandated by the congress, this report reviews the situation of human rights worldwide.
But the 2024 edition was amended to reflect the guidelines of the Trump administration, insisting on the fight against diversity policies or the right to abortion. “This year’s reports have been simplified to be more useful and accessible […] And to align yourself with the decrees of the administration, ”specifies the text.
Concerns of Democrats and NGOs
This reorientation worries the elected democrats and the NGOs, who fear politicization. “The measures taken by the Trump administration to sweeten and politicize these reports compromise their very objective and harm the credibility of the State Department,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen.
Our human rights file
The treatment reserved for certain countries illustrates these tensions. The Salvador, an ally of Washington, is spared: “no credible information reporting significant abuses”, said the report, despite criticism of NGOs. On the other hand, South Africa and Brazil, cold with the United States, are severely judged. Pretoria is accused of having “taken a very worrying step” with a law facilitating the expropriation of Afrikaners, while Brasilia is criticized for “excessive and disproportionate measures” restricting access to certain online content.
