Reuters
—
The German government on Monday accused US billionaire Elon Musk of trying to influence elections scheduled for February with articles supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Despite suggesting that it amounted to “nonsense,” he condemned it.
Musk, who will serve as an outside advisor to President Donald Trump’s new administration, endorsed the AfD as Germany’s last hope in a guest article for the newspaper Welt am Sonntag, which prompted the commentary editor to resign in protest. It’s arrived.
A German government spokesperson said, “It is true that Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election” through the X posts and editorials.
A spokesperson said Musk is free to express his opinions, adding: “At the end of the day, freedom of opinion includes the biggest nonsense.”
Musk, the world’s richest man, defended his right to influence German politics due to his “significant investments” and praised the AfD’s approach to regulation, taxes and market deregulation.
His intervention comes as Germans prepare to vote in parliamentary elections on February 23, following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government. Musk also called for Scholz’s resignation after a car crashed into a crowd at a Christmas market on December 20, killing five people.
The AfD currently ranks second in opinion polls behind the main opposition conservative party, and could thwart the centre-right and centre-left majority in the election. Germany’s mainstream political parties have pledged not to cooperate with the AfD at the national level.
A government spokesperson said Musk’s support for the AfD was “monitored[by domestic intelligence agencies]for suspicion of being a right-wing extremist and encouraged him to vote for a party that is already partially recognized as a right-wing extremist.” ” he said.
German politicians have criticized Musk for supporting the AfD, and the co-leader of Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) likened him to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Both want to influence our elections and in particular want to support the enemy of democracy, the AfD. They want Germany to weaken and descend into chaos.” Lars Klingbeil told the Funke News Group on Monday.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Party and current candidate to replace Chancellor Scholz, told Funke that Musk’s comments were “intrusive and pretentious.”
