German government officials were accused Tesla founder Elon Musk on Monday of attempting to interfere in the country's upcoming parliamentary elections on behalf of the country's far-right political party, citing recent social media posts and an op-ed over the weekend asserting its support for it.
Musk has tried to describe the political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) as the party best able to usher in a fiscally responsible economy in Germany – praising the party's approach to regulations and taxes, while also defending strongly against allegations of extremism and new policies. Nazi relations.
His comments angered senior German government officials, who pointed out on Monday that the timing comes just weeks before Germany's early parliamentary elections, and the goal in their view is clearly to influence the German public, regardless of whether Musk's messages achieve that or not. no. goal.
(Co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, Alice Weidel, attends the AfD election campaign in front of the cathedral in Magdeburg, Germany, Monday, December 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi))
“Elon Musk is already trying to influence the federal elections,” German government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann told reporters at a press conference on Monday.
Hoffman said Musk was free to express his opinion, adding: “After all, Freedom of opinion It also covers the greatest nonsense.”
Musk was sharply criticized for his apparent support for the Alternative for Germany political party just weeks before early parliamentary elections were held in February.
Musk criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this fall, calling him an “idiot.”
Musk also praised the AfD last week on his social media platform, X, writing: “Only the AfD can save Germany.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrives on Capitol Hill. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)
Musk confirmed his support in an editorial published in the center-right German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
“The portrayal of the AfD as far-right is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party's leader, has a gay partner from Sri Lanka! Does this sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Musk said of AfD co-chair Alice Weidel.
He added that, from his point of view, the Alternative for Germany party “can lead the country to a future where… Economic prosperityCultural integration and technological innovation are not just wishes, but a reality.”
These statements sparked criticism from Current and former US legislatorsAnd from leaders in Berlin, who noted the party's reputation as a neo-Nazi group.
German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, also a member of the Social Democratic Party, criticized Musk's intervention as “inoffensive and highly problematic.”
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with House Republicans at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, D.C. (Alison Robert/AFP/via Getty Images)
All major German political parties have ruled out working with the AfD, and its youth wing was classified as a “confirmed extremist” group by Germany's domestic intelligence agency earlier this year.
For its part, the Alternative for Germany party rejected this characterization.
Response from us and German officials It did little to deter Musk, who used his op-ed to say the German economy was crippled by regulatory sprawl and bureaucracy, calling the AfD “the last spark of hope for this country.”
“Germany’s traditional parties have failed,” Musk wrote in an op-ed for the German Social Democratic Party and other major parties. “Their policies have led to economic stagnation, social unrest and the erosion of national identity.”
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The decision to publish Musk's op-ed in a center-right newspaper was heavily criticized and prompted Welt am Sonntag's opinion editor, Eva-Marie Kugel, to announce her resignation.
