Norway’s Prime Minister has expressed concern over Elon Musk’s alleged meddling in Europe’s “internal affairs”.
Jonas Gahr Stoere, of the country’s ruling Labour Party, told national broadcaster NRK on January 6 that the X owner’s decision to comment on the politics of various European countries was inappropriate considering his position.
“I find 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. This is not how it should be between democracies and allies,” the PM said.
“If we were to see it in Norway, I hope and assume that a united Norwegian political environment would warn and distance itself from it.”
Stoere is the latest European leader to express their concerns at Musk’s increasing interests in their countries, with the US billionaire targeting leaders over what he regarded as their failures on free speech and migration issues.
Musk has paid particular attention to the ruling governments of Germany and the UK, blasting both German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British PM Keir Starmer for their policies.
Scholz has attempted to dismiss the criticisms as insults, although he expressed deeper concern over Musk’s open endorsement of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Responding to Musk’s claim that the group was the “only party that can save Germany”, Scholz accused the AfD of being “in parts right-wing extremist”. He added that it supposedly “preaches rapprochement with Putin’s Russia and wants to weaken transatlantic relations”.
US Vice President-elect JD Vance also took to social media to defend the AfD, rejecting US media claims that the party had “neo-Nazi” links.
Starmer was expected to address Musk’s attacks on him on January 6. The US tech mogul has suggested the PM should be jailed over what he alleged was a failure to protect children in the UK from knife attacks.
He has also blasted Starmer for what he claimed was a failure to prosecute those involved in Muslim-Pakistani rape gangs operating in English cities such as Rochdale and Rotherham during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions.
“Starmer is complicit in the crimes,” Musk alleged on X on January 6.
He has also attacked Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage, saying that the arch-Brexiteer “doesn’t have what it takes”.
That claim has been rejected by senior party officials, with Farage himself linking the salvo to his decision to refuse to work with jailed English journalist Tommy Robinson.
“Well, this is a surprise! Elon is a remarkable individual but on this I am afraid I disagree,” he wrote.
“My view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles.”
US tech billionaire Elon Musk has faced criticism from German politicians after expressing support for the right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) in an opinion piece. https://t.co/ZDhhyd89e1
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) December 30, 2024
