German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Elon Musk’s support for right-wing international politicians “disgusting” in an interview with CNN, as Musk has increasingly inserted himself into the global political discourse, sparking widespread rebuke from European leaders.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Co-Chair of the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), ... [+]
Scholz told the network “I disagree completely with Elon Musk and what he is doing . . . this is really disgusting, and it is not good for the democratic development in all [of] the European Union.”
Scholz’s comments come after Musk streamed a conversation with Alice Wiedel, leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Deutschland party on X earlier this month and as he has publicly expressed support for conservatives in Italy and Canada.
Ahead of the interview, the European Union said it would examine whether Musk artificially promoted the interview on his social media platform, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told reporters.
French President Emmanuel Macron also questioned the blurred lines between Musk’s political outspokenness and his X ownership in a speech earlier this month: “Ten years ago, if anyone had said that the owner of one of the world’s largest social networks would support a new reactionary alliance and intervene directly in elections, even in Germany, who would have imagined it?”
Nowegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told the state-run outlet NRK he finds it “worrying that a man with enormous access to social media and large financial resources is so directly involved in the internal affairs of other countries.”
The Musk pushback on the European mainland came after Musk targeted UK leadership in January on X, writing “The Reform Party needs a new leader. [Nigel] Farage doesn’t have what it takes,” without elaborating on why he turned against the leader after meeting with him at Mar-A-Lago last month.
Farage, calling Musk’s tweet a "surprise," suggested Musk was dissatisfied with Farage’s criticism of right-wing anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson, who has a lengthy criminal record and is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court related to a libel case he lost for spreading false claims about a Syrian schoolboy. Musk, who generally takes a hardline stance against immigration, began interacting with Robinson in August, and has amplified his calls for Robinson to be freed in the past week, as he’s also taken interest in investigations into the UK’s handling of so-called “grooming gangs” found to have exploited children in towns in northern England. Farage—a longtime right-wing populist known for his push to leave the European Union—told Sky News on Friday Robinson “won’t be” joining the Reform Party, after saying last year he doesn’t want “anything to do with” Robinson and accusing him of attempts to “stir up hatred.” Farage stood by his criticism of Robinson on Sunday, writing on X in response to Musk, “my view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles.” Farage called Musk a “remarkable individual” on X Sunday after saying last week he thinks Musk is a “hero” and crediting him with bringing back “free speech” by buying Twitter and doing away with many of its content moderation policies and reinstating banned accounts, including Robinson’s. Shortly after Musk’s meeting with Farage in December, Reform Party leaders said the Tesla CEO was one of several billionaires eyeing a donation to the party.
Musk—whose net worth stands at nearly $430 billion—has increasingly flexed his political muscles in recent months, spending over $200 million of his own money to back Trump’s 2024 campaign. The billionaire, who once backed former President Barack Obama, has emerged as a key Trump ally since his election victory. As the leader of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has reportedly secured a White House office space within close proximity to Trump. He has also taken an interest in international politics, speaking with a handful of foreign leaders and drawing controversy for reportedly communicating with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He’s also clashed with political figures in several countries, accepting an invitation to fight Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and feuding with a Brazilian Supreme Court judge who cut off access to X.
Musk has frequently attacked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in recent months, including for his response to riots and his handling of online hate speech. He called on King Charles to dissolve parliament and order a new general election after accusing Starmer of failing to properly punish “grooming gangs” while Starmer was director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. The right in the UK has used the investigations into the “grooming gangs” to attack the left-wing Labour Party that controls the British government, and the probes have become a rallying cry against immigration as the offenders are predominately British-Pakistani men.
Musk has expressed support for Germany’s Alternative for Deutschland party, known as the AfD, penning an opinion piece in a German newspaper last month that disputes characterizations of the party as “right-wing extremist.” Musk argued that Germany’s traditional political parties have prompted economic decline by becoming “comfortable with mediocrity” and wrote that “the AfD can save Germany from becoming a shadow of its former self.” The piece prompted widespread backlash, including the resignation of Welt am Sonntag’s opinion page editor Eva Marie Kogel in protest of its publication. AfD—known for its hardline views on immigration—is widely viewed as far-right, including by German officials.
Musk—who is a personal friend of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, founder of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party—rebuked Italian judges who struck down an anti-immigrant initiative in November, writing on X that the Rome judges “need to go.” Musk’s comments prompted President Sergio Mattarella to tell Musk he “must respect” Italy’s “sovereignty and cannot give himself the task of issuing it instructions.” Meloni met with Trump and Musk in December in Paris and Meloni visited Mar-A-Lago last week.
Musk slammed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in December after Trudeau likened Vice President Kamala Harris’ election loss to Trump as an attack against women’s rights, calling him an “insufferable tool” in a tweet and predicting he “won’t be in power for much longer.” (Trudeau announced in January he would resign.) More recently, Musk praised an episode of the Jordan B. Peterson podcast featuring Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre as a “great interview” in a post on X.
Musk has backed Argentina’s newly elected President Javier Milei, an eccentric figure who describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist. After the November US presidential election, the pair met at Mar-A-Lago.
Elon Musk Supports Germany’s Far-Right AfD Party In Opinion Piece (Forbes)
Who Is Tommy Robinson? Why Elon Musk Is Posting About Far-Right British Activist (Forbes)