U.S. billionaire Elon Musk has been accused of attempting to influence Germany’s upcoming federal election, a government spokesperson said Monday.
“It is indeed the case that Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election,” the spokesperson said, citing recent posts on Musk’s social media platform X and an opinion piece supporting the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party published over the weekend.
The spokesperson acknowledged Musk’s right to express his views, adding, “After all, freedom of opinion also covers the greatest nonsense.”
Musk’s endorsement of the AfD comes amid political uncertainty in Germany following the collapse of the coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The election is scheduled for Feb. 23.
Musk, who is expected to serve as an adviser in U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, expanded on his views in a German-language commentary published in *Welt am Sonntag*, a prominent newspaper owned by the Axel Springer media group. The commentary followed an earlier post on X in which Musk claimed “only the AfD can save Germany” and praised the party’s stance on deregulation, taxes, and market reforms.
Reuters