Elon Musk intervenes in the federal election campaign and expresses his support for the AfD with a controversial post on X. “Only the AfD can save Germany,” Musk wrote. It doesn’t take long for politicians to respond: there are also calls for a boycott of Musk’s electric car company Tesla.
Elon Musk is once again causing a stir with his statements about the election campaign in Germany. After the attack in Magdeburg, Trump confidant Olaf Scholz (SPD) criticized the event and saw it as a trigger for rising AfD polls. “Recent events also had a major impact,” Musk wrote on X in response to a post about the latest INSA investigation.
What Musk does not mention, however, is that the survey was commissioned by Bild between December 18 and 19 – before the attack in Magdeburg.
Musk refers to World War II
Elon Musk’s support for the AfD has led to an intensive exchange between the high-tech billionaire and former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton. Shortly before the elections in Germany, Musk “openly expressed his support for the far-right AfD party,” Breton wrote on Musk’s Platform X on Sunday.
The controversial AfD post is causing a stir in German politics:
He asked, “Isn’t that exactly the definition of foreign interference?” Musk responded with the message: “Brother, American ‘foreign interference’ is the only reason you don’t speak German or Russian. Musk hinted at the intervention.” of the US in World War II.
A few days ago Musk wrote about X: “Only the AfD can save Germany.” After the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market, which left five dead and more than two hundred injured, he sharply criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) as an “incompetent idiot” and called for his resignation. Musk also shared a comment from a user who described the incident as a direct result of unregulated “mass immigration.”
Criticism of Musk’s statement came from, among others, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD). “Elon Musk should not interfere in our politics. His platform profits from hate and agitation and radicalizes people,” Lauterbach also wrote on X.
German politics is going to the barricades
The SPD considers Elon Musk’s recommendations for the election of the AfD as an “attack on German democracy”: it should worry every democrat “if Putin and Musk interfere in the German election campaign at the same time,” said SPD leader Lars Klingbeil against the Tagesspiegel. “The fact that both are committed to the AfD speaks for itself.” Musk’s post shows “that we must prepare for a tough election campaign: not only in our own country against lies and agitation from the AfD, but also from outside actors who attack German democracy and want to destabilize our country.”
The reactions to Musk’s post were not long in coming: Alice Weidel, candidate for chancellor of the AfD, is enthusiastic, while FDP leader Lindner invites the Trump confidant for a personal meeting. Musk also shared a video of right-wing extremist influencer Naomi Seibt in support of him. These messages were also regularly shared by the amok driver of the Magdeburg Christmas market.
In response to Elon Musk’s election call for the AfD, the SPD faction in the Bavarian state parliament has deleted its X account. SPD faction leader Holger Grießhammer announced that he had also deleted his personal account and that of the parliamentary group on X. His four deputies would also follow this move. According to him, X is a “haven for hatred and disinformation”. When SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz was asked about Musk’s position, he previously said that freedom of expression also applies to multi-billionaires. The Chancellor wants to stay with X.
Investigation by the European Commission required
Following Elon Musk’s supportive post for the AfD, CDU members are calling for a European Commission investigation into the visibility of his posts on X. Numerous users reported seeing Musk’s content regularly without following him. This raises questions about the transparency of the recommendation algorithms.
It is not the first time that the technology billionaire has interfered in German politics. He once insulted Angela Merkel and also Olaf Scholz. Already after the European elections, he showed sympathy for the AfD and described its political positions as not extremist.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
