“Who would have thought ten years ago, that the owner of one of the largest social media platforms in the world would support a new international reactionary movement and directly intervene in elections, including in Germany. Who would have thought that,” Macron wondered on Monday during the conference for ambassadors at the Élysée in Paris.
The French president did not mention Elon Musk by name, but it is not difficult to understand the reference. Musk repeatedly expressed his support for the right-wing German political party AfD last month. Recently the Xboss even via an opinion contribution to a forum in the newspaper Welt am Sonntag, in which he described Germany as a country “on the brink of economic and cultural decline”. According to Musk, AfD is the only party that can save the country from destruction. He called Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz “a fool” and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier an “anti-democratic tyrant”.
At the beginning of January, it became known that Musk may have planned a meeting with Alice Weidel, the chairwoman of the AfD and chancellor candidate for the same party, on Thursday, January 9. A conversation that can be followed on his social media platform X.
Macron is not the only European state leader who has difficulty with Elon Musk’s interference. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said on the Norwegian public broadcaster on Monday NRK he finds it worrying that “a man with enormous access to social media and enormous economic resources is so meddling in the internal affairs of other countries. “That is not how things should be between democracies and allies,” he continued, without mentioning Elon Musk by name.
When asked what would happen if Musk directly interfered in Norwegian politics, Støre said he hoped “the politicians would warn about this and distance themselves from such attempts.” Norway’s general elections will take place in September this year. (Read more below the photo)
The Norwegian premier Jonas Gahr Støre — © EPA-EFE
“Normal people are a majority”
In Germany, the federal elections are already next month, on February 23. The German government accused Musk of trying to influence them with, among other things, the controversial opinion piece in Welt am Sonntag. However, a government spokesperson, who did mention Musk by name, emphasized that the Tesla boss’s influence is limited. “Normal, sensible, decent people are a majority in this country,” said a press conference in Berlin. “We pretend that Musk’s Twitter statements can influence a country of 84 million people with untruths or opinions. That is simply not the case.”
Chancellor Scholz, who was directly attacked by Musk, has also already responded to the Tesla boss’s statements. So he stated in the magazine Stern indicated that he would not attempt to contact Musk. “I don’t believe in seducing Mr. Musk. I like to leave that to others. The rule is: don’t feed the troll,” Scholz said.
Border crossed
The criticism of Musk is not limited to this side of the Channel. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded on Monday to the dozens of messages that Musk has been spreading via X for several days. These reports are about the way in which the British government and Starmer – who was public prosecutor at the time – handled a child abuse scandal.
Although the approach of the police and the government has been investigated several times, Musk is calling for a new investigation. In a message on X, the American even called for Starmer to be locked up in prison. Musk also called Secretary Jess Phillips “a rape-genocide apologist.” In addition, Musk is also calling for new elections, although the last elections only took place last year.
“In my book, that means a line has been crossed.”
Keir Starmer
British Prime Minister
“We’ve seen this scenario many times before. Intimidation and threats of violence, in the hope that the media would amplify these,” Starmer responded on Monday. “Jess Phillips does not need me or anyone else to speak on her behalf. But when the poison of the extreme right leads to serious threats, then in my book that means that a line has been crossed,” he continued.