Elon Musk, billionaire tech magnate turned potential US government official, has ignited controversy in Europe after publicly endorsing Germany’s populist-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
On December 20, Musk reposted a video by German right-wing influencer Naomi Seibt on X and captioned it with: “Only AfD can save Germany.”
His endorsement drew immediate backlash, with Thierry Breton, former EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, accusing Musk of foreign interference.
“A few weeks before the next elections in Germany and at the time of the heinous attack in Magdeburg, Elon Musk — the world’s top influencer on X and a potential member of the future US administration — openly supports the far-right AfD party. Isn’t this the very definition of foreign interference?,” he said on December 21.
Breton also urged stricter enforcement of the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), declaring: “We must put an end to the double standards and apply DSA in Europe.”
A few weeks ahead of the next elections in Germany, and at the time of the heinous attack in Magdeburg, @elonmusk — the world's top influencer on X and a potential member of the future U.S. administration — openly supports the far-right AfD party.
Isn't this the very definition… https://t.co/g0LYIhw9j2
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) December 21, 2024
It was not Breton’s first clash with Musk. In mid-2024, when still a Commissioner, he warned the tech mogul about spreading harmful content on X before Musk hosted a live-streamed interview with President-elect Donald Trump.
Breton threatened sanctions under the DSA if compliance standards were not met.
Dirk Wiese, a senior German Social Democrat and member of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition, has called for a major anti-trust crackdown on Musk’s business empire.
In a Bloomberg interview on December 22, Wiese suggested reviving a modern version of the Sherman Anti-trust Act, a 19th-century US law designed to curb monopolistic practices.
Wiese stated: “It’s high time to push ahead with a modern version of the Sherman Anti-trust Act,” arguing it could dismantle Musk’s “monopolistic conglomerate” of companies.
Musk’s endorsement of the AfD followed his recent support for European populist-right figures, including Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Nigel Farage MP of the Reform UK party.
Farage recently hinted that Musk could potentially finance his party after meeting the billionaire in the US.
Critics see Musk’s actions as a threat to democratic norms while others see his comments as free speech.
The controversy underscored growing tensions between Musk’s potential influence in Europe and EU efforts to regulate big tech under the DSA.
The Cypriot social media influencer-turned-MEP @Fidias0 has fought for “free speech” in the European Parliament during a plenary debate on online misinformation and disinformation. https://t.co/SuaBP0Zrtt
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) December 19, 2024
