German officials have accused Elon Musk of interfering in the country’s election campaign by endorsing the far-right party AfD, which is classified as a suspected extremist group. The criticism comes after Musk posted on his platform X that “only the AfD can save Germany” and shared an opinion piece praising the party’s economic policies.
Musk has a history of weighing in on German politics, including calling Chancellor Olaf Scholz a “fool.” However, his recent open calls for voters to support the AfD have sparked outrage. The AfD is currently polling second, behind the CDU/CSU bloc, but its strong showing could complicate coalition building after the election.
Critics say Musk’s actions are undignified and presumptuous, with politicians from both sides of the aisle condemning his interference. The country’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, also warned of “outside influence” in the campaign, specifically citing Musk’s attempts to sway voters.
Musk cited a personal connection between one of AfD leaders and his own life as evidence that the party is not extremist, but this claim has been met with skepticism. The AfD’s far-right ideology has raised concerns among many Germans, who fear the party’s influence could undermine democracy.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/30/german-official-elon-musk-trying-to-influence-election-afd