European leaders decry Elon Musk meddling
Germany has said that Musk’s attempts to influence the coming German election are futile as the Tesla CEO voices support for the far right. The UK’s Starmer and France’s Macron echoed the German government’s sentiments.
Macron, Starmer also criticize Musk
Scholz was not the only European leader with strong words for Musk on Monday, with France’s President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr raising concerns.
“Ten years ago, who could have imagined it if we had been told that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the world would support a new international reactionary movement and intervene directly in elections, including in Germany,” said Macron.
At the same time, Macron said France would remain an ally to the US under President-elect Donald Trump, to whom Musk is a staunch ally.
Elon Musk does not hold the kind of sway over German voters that recent hand-wringing would imply, the government of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday.
“The normal people, the sensible people, the decent people are far in the majority in this country,” a spokesman said, a week after the government accused the tycoon of using his social media site X to try and promote the interests of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of federal elections in February.
“We act as if Mr Musk’s statements… could influence a country of 84 million people with untruths or half-truths or expressions of opinion. This is simply not the case,” he added.
On top of his support for the AfD, Musk called German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier a “tyrant.” The Tesla CEO has also announced plans to hold a livestream meeting with AfD leader Alice Weidel on Thursday.
Calls for EU to sanction Elon Musk for ‘interference’
