The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party secured 20.8% of the vote in Sunday’s election, a record high for any far-right party since the end of World War II. Chancellor candidate Alice Weidel expressed surprise and gratitude after receiving a congratulatory call from billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Weidel initially missed the call, but later confirmed that she had spoken with Musk after looking at her phone on Monday morning. She stated that he personally congratulated her on the party’s performance.
Musk publicly endorsed the AfD in December, hosting a 75-minute video conversation with Weidel and calling into an AfD meeting in January to encourage supporters to vote for the party. Despite his efforts, the AfD did not significantly improve its polling numbers before the election.
The party’s co-leader Tino Chrupalla acknowledged that Musk’s endorsement may not be a decisive factor for potential voters but credited it with generating interest and donations from other business leaders. The AfD will now face a challenging road ahead as it seeks to form a coalition or govern in partnership with the Christian Democrats, who won first place in the election.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/world/europe/musk-afd-weidel-call.html