Elon Musk. Photo: Patrick Pleul
Elon Musk, the famous billionaire and owner of the X platform (formerly Twitter), continues to make waves in European political life. His open expression of sympathy for the right-wing radical party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has sparked a flurry of criticism and concern about interference in Germany’s democratic processes.
Journalist and international relations expert John Kampfner spoke about this situation in the British newspaper The Independent. He describes Musk’s actions as deliberate attempts to undermine democracy in Germany, a country with a bitter historical experience of fighting extremist regimes.
“The Sinister Game of the Mask”
Kampfner recalls an incident a decade ago at a conference in Berlin, where it was suggested that American tech giants could not be trusted in matters of democracy. At the time, this statement seemed too radical, but now, according to the journalist, it turned out to be prophetic.
Musk actively uses his X platform to attack German politicians. In particular, he called Chancellor Olaf Scholz an “incompetent fool” and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier a “tyrannical anti-democrat”. Such actions, according to Kampfner, fit perfectly with Musk’s rhetoric aimed at “protecting freedom of speech”, which in fact becomes a tool for polarising society.
AfD support: more than words
The most worrying was Musk’s open support for the AfD in the leading German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. In his column, Musk called the party “the last spark of hope for Germany”. He praised the AfD for its plans to cut taxes, deregulate the market, and reduce government influence.
Experts note that such interference could affect the elections scheduled for February 2025. The support from Musk, who has a huge media influence, potentially helps the AfD to strengthen its position, in particular among young voters and “free market” supporters.
Reaction of political leaders
Eva Marie Kogel, editor of the opinion section of Welt am Sonntag, resigned after the publication of Musk’s article, expressing disagreement with this editorial policy. Leaders of the main parties condemned Musk for interfering in Germany’s internal affairs. The head of the Social Democrats, Lars Klingbeil, said that Musk was “trying to bring chaos to Germany”, comparing his actions to the influence of Vladimir Putin.
Will Germany succumb to the influence?
Despite his powerful influence, experts believe that German society is not ready to blindly follow the US entrepreneur. John Kampfner emphasises that Germany is a country that is particularly cautious about preserving democratic values because of its history.
However, the risks remain. Given the growing popularity of the AfD, which already has 20% support, such actions could undermine the political system. Kampfner points to a “latent discontent with liberal democracy” that Musk is actively exploiting for his own purposes.
