French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Elon Musk of meddling in European politics, joining other continental leaders in criticising the billionaire’s support for Germany’s far-right AfD ahead of the country’s elections.
French President Emmanuel Macron has joined other European leaders criticising Elon Musk, accusing the billionaire of directly interfering in the continent's democratic processes, including Germany's upcoming snap federal elections.
Macron's comments came during a speech to French ambassadors, where he refrained from naming Musk explicitly but left little doubt about the target of his remarks.
"Ten years ago, who could have imagined that the owner of one of the world's largest social networks would support a new international reactionary movement and intervene directly in elections, including in Germany," Macron said, addressing concerns about Musk's influence.
The criticism follows Musk's support for Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, describing it as Germany's "last spark of hope," in a controversial op-ed for Welt am Sonntag.
Musk also announced to his 211 million followers on X that he will be hosting a live conversation with co-chairwoman of AfD Alice Weidel this Thursday. Germany's general elections are set to take place on 23 February 2025.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has also voiced concerns, stating that it was "worrying" to see someone with Musk's "enormous access to social media and huge economic resources" directly involve himself in other countries' internal affairs. Støre emphasised that such actions were inappropriate between democratic allies, especially with Norway's own general elections approaching this September.
The Germany government has called out Musk by his name. "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," a spokesperson said.
"The normal people, the sensible people, the decent people are far in the majority in this country," they added.
Musk's backing of the AfD has fueled concerns across Europe, particularly as the party has been classified as a suspected extremist group by German intelligence.
His support comes amid broader tensions between Musk and several European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently faced attacks from Musk over his handling of the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal involving grooming gangs of predominantly South Asian men.
Starmer, who served as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) up until 2013, was accused by Musk of being "complicit in the rape of Britain."
When asked at a conference on Monday about Musk's X comments about Jess Phillips, the Home Office minister, Starmer said: "Those that are spreading lies and disinformation as far and wide as possible are not interested in victims. They're interested in themselves. Those who are cheerleading Tommy Robinson aren't interested in justice. They're supporting a man who went to prison for nearly collapsing a grooming case, a gang grooming case.
"These are people getting some sort of vicarious thrill from the street violence people like Tommy Robinson promote. And those that are attacking Jess Philips, who I'm proud to call a colleague and a friend, are not protecting victims."
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Musk's actions, telling Stern magazine, "don't feed the troll" and calling his comments "erratic".
"I don't believe in courting Mr. Musk's favour. I'm happy to leave that to others," he added, hinting at Musk's cosy relationship with Trump and his heavy involvement in the United States' 2024 Presidential elections.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize....
A second aid ship carrying 10,080 tents provided by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has departed from Mersin Internation...
German Chancellor Merz addresses foreign companies and congratulates Azerbaijan and Armenia on peace deal...
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Tuesday that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft with Ukrainia...
Ukraine is set to present a revised 20-point peace plan to the United States today, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European leaders work to steer Washington’s ceasefire framework away from concessions they fear could lock in Russian territorial gains.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the head of Europe's second-largest economy that highlights Beijing's focus on Paris in its ties with the European Union.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to cooperate more closely on geopolitics, trade and the environment, as the European Union seeks China's help to end the war in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron is in China for his fourth state visit, as Europe tries to balance economic dependence on the world’s second-largest economy.
Authorities in Japan lifted all tsunami warnings on Tuesday following a strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off the northeastern coast late on Monday, injuring at least 30 people and forcing around 90,000 residents to evacuate their homes.
Pressure is mounting between Venezuela and the United States as both nations emphasise military preparedness and strategic positioning.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Tehran has protested to Washington because of the travel ban on its football team delegation as well as Iranian fans who would like to travel to the United States for the upcoming World Cup matches in 2026.
Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O) has launched a $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O). The escalation follows a high-stakes battle that had appeared to end last week when Netflix secured a $72 billion deal for the studio giant’s assets.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
German Chancellor Merz addresses foreign companies and congratulates Azerbaijan and Armenia on peace deal
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Tuesday that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that his country and European partners will soon be ready to present the United States with refined documents outlining a potential peace plan.
The United States Senate is set to vote on Thursday on a Republican-backed plan aimed at addressing expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced on Tuesday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment