French President Emmanuel Macron has slammed Elon Musk’s involvement in European politics, accusing the tech world of directly interfering in elections across the continent, including next month’s federal polls in Germany. criticized the big name Elon Musk.
In a speech on foreign policy in Paris, Macron did not mention Musk by name, but made a sharp reference to the billionaire’s actions and his alleged support for Germany’s far-right party AfD. emphasized the concerns. “Who could have imagined 10 years ago that the owner of one of the world’s largest social networks would directly interfere in elections, including in Germany?” Macron said, according to the Associated Press.
The French president targeted Musk, accusing the X owners of promoting a “new reactionary international” movement. President Macron warned of the dangerous consequences of concentrating unchecked power in the hands of a wealthy few, highlighting the destabilizing effect such power can have on democratic institutions.
Macron also recognized Musk’s actions as a challenge to Europe’s democratic values and unity and called for greater resilience in the face of external threats to the continent’s stability, the Associated Press reported. insisted.
Despite his criticism of Musk, Macron has shown an open attitude towards US President-elect Donald Trump. He said Trump “has a strong ally in France, an ally that should not be underestimated.”
Macron’s comments underscored growing concerns in Europe about Musk’s influence.
In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government particularly criticized Musk. “Ordinary people, common sense people, decent people are by far the majority in this country. We want to make sure that what Mr. Musk says…is a lie, a half-truth, or an expression of opinion that affects a country of 84 million people. They are acting as if they could. That is simply not the case,” a government spokesperson told broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer was asked about Musk at a press conference about the child sexual abuse scandal. Mr Musk previously accused Mr Starmer of negligence during his tenure as prosecutor, an allegation Starmer strongly denied. Mr Starmer did not mention Mr Musk by name and dismissed the accusations as a self-serving lie. “Those who are spreading lies and misinformation as far and wide as possible are not interested in the victims. They are interested in themselves,” Starmer said, according to Sky News.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gare Stoer also spoke out about Musk’s political influence. Reuters quoted him as telling Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, “It’s amazing how someone with enormous access to social media and enormous economic resources can be so directly involved in the internal affairs of another country.” I am concerned about this,” he said.
