Elon Musk has sparked a backlash in Germany after calling for the prime minister’s resignation and supporting the AfD. Germany’s health minister said Musk “should not interfere in our politics.” A market in Magdeburg, Germany, as Europe’s right-wing leaders try to attack Christmas.
Elon Musk has caused controversy in Germany by calling Prime Minister Olaf Scholz an “incompetent idiot” and supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
In his post on X, Musk first reshared a video of right-wing influencer Naomi Seibt criticizing Friedrich Merz, one of the leading candidates to become Germany’s next chancellor.
“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Musk, the world’s richest man, wrote alongside the post.
Musk then commented on the news that at least five people were killed in an attack on a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday.
Musk reshared a post that purportedly showed an image of the suspect, saying the attack was “a direct result of mass unchecked immigration.”
In another post, Musk added: “Mr. Scholz should resign immediately. He is an incompetent idiot.”
Right-wing figures across Europe are using the incident to push anti-immigration rhetoric and call for tighter border controls.
Musk’s comments, made just two months before Germany is scheduled to hold snap elections, sparked a backlash in the country.
“There is freedom of speech here, and that applies even to very wealthy people. Freedom of speech also means being able to say things that are not true or do not contain content,” Scholz said at a press conference in Berlin. It seems that he responded indirectly. That’s good political advice,” the Guardian reported.
German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told X that Musk “should not interfere in our politics,” adding: “His platform profits from hatred and incitement and radicalizes people.” he added.
Reuters/Fabian Bimmer
The AfD party was founded in 2013 as an anti-euro party, but since then it has focused on immigration and increasingly been seen as far-right.
But Musk has previously questioned how far-right his party’s policies are.
In a post on X in June, he wrote: “Why is there such a negative reaction from some people about the AfD?”
“They keep saying ‘far-right’ but the AfD policies I read don’t sound extremist. Maybe I’m missing something,” he added.
Tesla’s chief executive has signaled growing support for right-wing leaders such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Britain’s Reform Party leader Nigel Farage.
Earlier this week, Mr Farage boasted that Mr Musk was “right behind” him, hinting that the tech mogul could support his party financially.
