Elon Musk has urged German voters to support the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the upcoming national election. During a live-streamed conversation with Alice Weidel, the AfD’s candidate for chancellor, Musk introduced her as “the leading candidate to run Germany.” The stream, hosted on his social media platform X, attracted more than 190,000 viewers.
Musk, known for his ties to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, used the broadcast to stress the importance of voting for the AfD. He warned viewers that Germany’s future would worsen unless the party gained support. “Only AfD can save Germany. End of story,” Musk declared.
Musk has become increasingly vocal about his backing for far-right parties across Europe, including his support for the AfD, which is known for its anti-immigration and anti-Islamic stance. The billionaire has previously shared similar sentiments on social media and in an op-ed published by Welt am Sonntag. He and Weidel criticized Germany’s energy policy, bureaucratic inefficiency, and immigration challenges, drawing controversial comparisons between the media’s treatment of the AfD and Nazi-era repression of pro-Jewish voices.
Musk defended Weidel’s positions, calling the criticism against her unjust. “People love to censor things they don’t agree with,” he said, adding that her proposals were “nothing outrageous.”
Musk, who identifies as a libertarian, has also clashed with German leaders. He has called President Frank-Walter Steinmeier a “tyrant” for condemning the AfD and demanded Chancellor Olaf Scholz resign after a deadly car attack at a German Christmas market.
Musk’s political interventions have sparked alarm across Europe. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has accused Musk of undermining democracy, and France’s foreign minister has urged the European Union to better protect against foreign interference.
In contrast, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, defended Musk. Meloni downplayed concerns about Musk’s political influence, stating that he was merely expressing his views. She also addressed Italy’s dilemma regarding communications security, as the government is considering a Starlink contract for sensitive communications. The Italian opposition, however, has raised concerns about entrusting such services to a private company linked to Musk’s political views.
Meloni posed a question to critics: “Is the problem with SpaceX that it’s a private company, or is it Elon Musk’s political ideas?”
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