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European political affairs came to a head on Monday after the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, called on Britain’s right-wing Reform Party to replace Nigel Farage as leader, attacking Britain’s left-wing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and setting the stage. A growing number of European leaders have expressed concern about his increasingly outspoken stance on the issue. Interviewed with German far-right leader for X.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, newly announced co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), … (+)
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important facts
European Commission spokesman Thomas Renier told reporters on Monday that Musk’s Thursday interview with Alice Wiedel, leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party, had been artificially edited by social media platform X’s algorithm. He told reporters that he was “investigating” whether there was a “boost” in China. .
French President Emmanuel Macron, in a speech on Monday, incited further criticism of Mr. Musk’s blurred line between his political outspokenness and his ownership of Company X. “If someone had said 10 years ago that the owners of one of the world’s largest social networks would support a new reactionary alliance,” who would have imagined that they would intervene directly in elections, even in Germany? ? ”
In an interview with state broadcaster NRK on Monday, Nouegas Prime Minister Jonas Gare Store said: “It is concerning that a person with enormous access to social media and enormous financial resources is so directly involved in the internal affairs of another country.” I’m doing it,” he said.
Mr Musk’s backlash against mainland Europe comes as he targeted Britain’s leadership over the weekend, telling Sunday’s X: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage. They don’t have what it takes,” he said, without elaborating on why Farage had rebelled after meeting him at Mar-a-Lago last month.
Musk’s comments about British politics come after he also publicly expressed support for conservatives in Germany, Italy and Canada.
Contra
Mr Farage called Mr Musk’s tweet “surprising” and suggested that Mr Musk was unhappy with Mr Farage’s criticism of right-wing anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson. Mr Robinson has a long criminal record and has been sentenced to prison for contempt of court in connection with a defamation case. Lost case for spreading false claims about Syrian schoolboys. Musk generally takes a hard-line stance on immigration, but he began interacting with Robinson in August and is also interested in investigating Britain’s treatment of so-called “grooming.” have stepped up their calls for Robinson’s release over the past week. A ‘gang’ was found to be exploiting children in a town in the north of England. Mr Farage, a long-time right-wing populist known for his support for leaving the European Union, told Sky News on Friday that Mr Robinson “wouldn’t join” the Reform Party after saying last year that he “didn’t want anything to do with it”. he said. It accused Robinson of attempting to “incite hatred.” Mr Farage on Sunday backed Mr Robinson’s criticism and responded to Mr Musk by saying: ‘My view remains that Tommy Robinson is unfit for reform and I am not willing to sell out my principles. Never,” he said. Mr Farage last week said he considered Mr Musk a “hero” and credited him with restoring “free speech” by taking over Twitter, scrapping many of its content moderation policies and reinstating banned accounts. After praising him, he called Musk “a remarkable person” on X Sunday. , including Robinsons. Shortly after Musk’s meeting with Farage in December, Reform Party leaders said he was one of several billionaires considering donating to the party.
Main background
Musk, who has a net worth of nearly $430 billion, has become increasingly politically powerful in recent months, funneling more than $200 million of his personal fortune to support Trump’s 2024 campaign. The billionaire, who once supported former President Barack Obama, has emerged as a key ally of President Trump since his election victory. He regularly appears alongside President Trump at Mar-a-Lago and plans to run a “Department of Government Efficiency” aimed at cutting costs. ” Musk also has an interest in international politics and has been controversially reported to have met with several foreign leaders and communicated with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has also clashed with politicians in several countries, including accepting an invitation to fight Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and feuding with a Brazilian Supreme Court judge who cut off access to X.
What else does Musk say about British politics?
Mr Musk has frequently attacked Mr Starmer in recent months, including over his response to the riots and online hate speech. On Saturday, Mr Starmer called on King Charles to dissolve parliament and create a new general secretary, after he accused Mr Starmer of failing to properly punish “grooming gangs” when he was director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. He called for an election to be ordered. The British right has exploited the investigation. The investigation has become a rallying cry against immigration, as the suspects are mainly criminals who joined “grooming gangs” to attack the left-wing Labor Party, which controls Britain’s government. British-Pakistani man.
How has Mr. Musk been involved in German politics?
Musk has expressed support for the German party Alternative for Germany, known as AfD, and last month wrote an op-ed in a German newspaper challenging the party’s characterization as a “right-wing extremist.” Musk argued that Germany’s traditional political parties had contributed to economic decline by “resting in mediocrity” and wrote that “AfD can save Germany from the shadow of its former self.” The article sparked widespread backlash, including the resignation of Welt am Sonntag’s opinion page editor Eva-Marie Kogel in protest of its publication. The AfD, known for its hard-line views on immigration, is widely considered far-right, including by German officials. Musk has announced that he will livestream a debate with AfD leader Alice Weidell next week ahead of a snap election on February 23 following the collapse of Prime Minister Olaf Scholz’s coalition government.
What did Mr. Musk say about Italy?
Mr. Musk, a personal friend of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and founder of the right-wing Brotherhood of Italy party, criticized Italian judges for defeating an anti-immigration movement in November, saying the judges in Rome had “sent off.” “I need to,” he wrote in X magazine. In response to Musk’s comments, President Sergio Mattarella told him that he must respect Italy’s “sovereignty and cannot give himself the task of giving instructions to Italy.” Meloni met with Trump and Musk in Paris in December, and last week Meloni visited Mar-a-Lago.
What is Musk’s position on Canada?
Musk tweeted last month that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau likened Vice President Kamala Harris’ election loss to an attack on women’s rights, calling her an “intolerable tool” and saying, “He won’t be in power for long.” ”, he criticized the prime minister for predicting this. Longer. (Prime Minister Trudeau announced Monday that he was resigning.) Most recently, in a post on the “A great interview.” Prime Minister Trudeau said Monday that he intends to resign as prime minister. Minister.
What did Mr. Musk say about Argentina?
Mr. Musk supports Argentina’s new president, Javier Millei, an eccentric figure who calls himself an anarcho-capitalist. The two met at Mar-a-Lago after the U.S. presidential election in November.
Read more
Elon Musk calls on Britain’s King Charles to dissolve Parliament – MPs say Tesla CEO is ‘misinformed’ (Forbes)
Elon Musk supports German far-right party AfD in opinion piece (Forbes)
Who is Tommy Robinson? Why Elon Musk posts about British far-right activist (Forbes)
