BERLIN, Jan. 6 (AP) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz tries to remain “calm” about Elon Musk’s personal critical comments, but says the American billionaire is far-right He said he was concerned about attempts to get involved in the general election by supporting the party Alternative. For the German (AfD) party.
Scholz said Musk, a close ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, called Trump a “stupid” after the coalition government collapsed in November, and later supported the AfD in an op-ed he wrote for a major German newspaper. I was repulsed.
Scholz, a member of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), said in comments published in the German magazine Stern on Saturday that “rich people who do not appreciate social democratic politics and do not support social democratic policies” There is nothing new in the criticisms of media entrepreneurs.” Return their opinions. ”
“You have to stay calm,” Scholz told Stern.
“More than such insults,” Scholz said, “Mr. Musk has criticized parties like the AfD, which has a right-wing extremist side that advocates closer ties with President Vladimir Putin’s Russia and wants to weaken transatlantic relations.” I’m much more concerned about what I support.”
The AfD is being monitored by Germany’s domestic intelligence services as a suspected right-wing extremist group, and is already recognized as such in some German states.
Germany will hold early parliamentary elections on February 23 after Scholz’s three-party coalition government collapsed in November over a dispute over how to stimulate the country’s stagnant economy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Robert Habeck also warned Musk against getting involved in German politics.
“Let go of our democracy, Mr. Musk!” Harbeck said in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine.
“The combination of great wealth, control of information and networks, use of artificial intelligence and disregard for the rules is a frontal assault on our democracy,” said Habeck, the Green Party’s candidate for prime minister.
Musk recently caused an uproar after endorsing the AfD in an op-ed in World Newspaper, which led to the paper’s editor-in-chief Eva Marie Kogel resigning in protest.
“Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the last spark of hope for this country,” Musk wrote in a translated commentary.
The Tesla Motors CEO also wrote that his investment in Germany gave him the right to comment on the situation there.
Although the AfD is doing well in the polls, there is no realistic chance that top candidate Alice Weidell will become prime minister as other parties refuse to align with the far-right party. (AP) SCY
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