Musk to host chat with German far-right leader amid political interference fears

9 January 2025, 16:34

Elon Musk (Evan Vucci/AP)
Europe Musk. Picture: PA

The forays into politics by the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive is raising alarm across Europe.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is preparing to host a live-streamed chat with a leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party, amplifying concerns across Europe about potential meddling in the upcoming national election.

Mr Musk worked last year to help re-elect Donald Trump in the United States. Now Mr Musk, in control of an influential social media platform that often spreads disinformation, is using it to endorse the far right in Germany ahead of the February 23 election.

“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Mr Musk wrote on X on December 20, using the acronym for the party, known in German as Alternative fur Deutschland.

Germany Politics
Leader of right-wing AfD Alice Weidel (Markus Schreiber/AP)

He later doubled down on support for the AfD in an article for the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, claiming Germany under centre-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz is “teetering on the edge of economic and cultural collapse”.

He will host a chat on X-Space with Alice Weidel, a co-leader of the party and its candidate for chancellor in Germany’s election next month.

The forays into politics by the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive is raising alarm across Europe.

In addition to endorsing the AfD, Mr Musk has demanded the release of jailed UK anti-Islam extremist Tommy Robinson and called Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer an evil tyrant who should be in prison.

In Poland, there are concerns he could use his influence to interfere in the country’s presidential election in May.

Ms Weidel and the party do not have widespread support ahead of the election, but AfD has been rising in popularity as some of the criticism around it weakens.

Still, the AfD has been put under observation by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency for suspected extremism, and mainstream parties have shunned working with it.

The AfD has strongly rejected the designation and portrayed it as a political attempt to discredit the party.

AfD was formed in 2013 and has moved steadily to the right. Its platform initially centred on opposition to bailouts for struggling eurozone members, but its vehement opposition to then-chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to allow in large numbers of refugees and other migrants in 2015 established the party as a significant political force.

AfD has seen its support grow as a result of discontent with Mr Scholz’s three-party coalition government.

It hopes to emerge as the biggest party in three state elections in the formerly communist east, where it has its strongest support, in September.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Video footage shows the convoy had emergency lights flashing when it was hit

Israel admits ‘mistakenly’ killing 15 aid workers after video leak contradicted official version of events

Jaguar Land Rover has paused shipments to the US in the wake of 'Liberation Day' tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover halts shipments to US in wake of tariffs as Trump insists he'll win 'economic revolution'

Flowers and toys left on a swing seat to commemorate victims killed in Russia's missile attack on Friday

Death toll from Russian strike on Zelenskyy's home town rises as 18 confirmed dead - including nine children

Donald Trump's 10% tariff on UK products has officially come into force

Trump tariffs come into force as global stock markets plunge deeper into the red

Tom Howard

British tourist killed after being struck by boulder on trek through Himalayas

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a car burns following a Russian missile attack that killed more than a dozen people, including children, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Russia kills 16 people including three children in missile strike on Zelenskyy's home town, with dozens wounded

Travel influencer Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, made an illegal visit to North Sentinel Island

Tourist who left Coke for world's most isolated tribe 'could have wiped them all out' - and police 'can't go collect can'

White House weighs in to support ‘censored’ anti-abortion activists in Britain

White House looking to support ‘censored’ anti-abortion activists in Britain

This image provided by NASA shows Nick Hague, right, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore. (NASA via AP)

Stranded NASA astronauts reveal they were almost trapped in space 'forever' after horror malfunction

Donald Trump demands France 'free Marine Le Pen'

Donald Trump demands France 'free Marine Le Pen' after far-right leader found guilty of embezzlement in 'witch hunt'

China will impose a 34% retaliatory tariff on imports from the US

China announces additional 34% tariffs on US imports in retaliation over Trump's 'Liberation Day' levies

Friends of Prince Andrew say he's "unsurprised" Giuffre made the post

Prince Andrew 'not surprised' his accuser shared shock post saying she had 'four days to live'

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol

South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol removed from office as impeachment upheld over martial law declaration

Virginia Giuffre

Woman driving Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre during crash that left her with 'four days to live' breaks silence

Exclusive
'Donald Trump has made Putin comfortable,' Mikhail Khodorkovsky has warned

'Trump has made Putin comfortable' despite massive Ukraine war losses, exiled former oligarch tells LBC

The bodies of Andrew Searle and his wife Dawn were discovered by a neighbour.

British couple found dead in south of France home being ‘treated as murder-suicide’