Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz has delivered a New Year’s Eve speech that touched on national unity, economic concerns, and rising polarization. While acknowledging the challenges faced by the country, Mr. Scholz also made an oblique reference to Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who has expressed support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD).
The AfD, which has neo-Nazi ties and is under surveillance by domestic intelligence, has been a point of contention among lawmakers and mainstream leaders. Mr. Musk’s endorsement of the party, including a social media post and a 600-word essay in a national paper, has sparked widespread condemnation.
Chancellor Scholz did not explicitly name Mr. Musk but made it clear that foreign interference in German elections is unacceptable. “Where Germany goes from here will be decided by you — the citizens,” he said. “It will not be decided by the owners of social media channels.”
The conservative Christian Democratic Party is leading the polls, but the AfD is in second place with around 20 percent. The government has stated that Mr. Musk’s endorsement is an attempt to influence the election and is trying to sway German voters.
Lawmakers from both center-left and center-right have condemned Mr. Musk’s actions, with some comparing him to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Because political campaigns are largely financed by the German state, donations play a smaller role in Germany than in the US. However, Mr. Musk’s endorsement may still improve the AfD’s visibility.
Chancellor Scholz has called on Germans to reject extremist ideologies and support “reasonable and decent people.” The government spokeswoman has stated that freedom of expression also includes absurd statements, but emphasized that foreign interference is not acceptable.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/31/world/europe/scholz-elon-musk-germany-election.html