The News
Elon Musk is facing accusations of political meddling beyond the US after endorsing far-right parties across Europe, including the German Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Britain’s Reform UK.
“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Musk wrote on X Friday in a post that was viewed 25 million times within hours, leading one senior German politician to remark, “stay out, Elon.”
The tech billionaire’s post followed reports that Musk is considering donating as much as $100 million to the anti-immigration Reform UK after meeting the party’s leader at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence earlier in the week, in what would amount to the largest political donation in British history.
Politicians from Italy, Ireland, and France have warned Musk not to interfere in their domestic politics.
SIGNALS
German politicians lash out after Musk backs the far right
German politicians of all stripes have decried Musk’s support for the AfD, calling his support for a party that Germany’s domestic intelligence has described as “confirmed extremist” unacceptable. But not everyone agrees, with the leader of the liberal Free Democratic Party writing to the billionaire that he started “a policy debate inspired by ideas from you and [Argentinian president] Milei.” Musk’s endorsement of the AfD could make life harder for German conservatives, who are expected to win February elections and have ruled out working with the party, Politico reported. The leader of the Christian Democratic Union has portrayed himself as someone who can make “deals” with Donald Trump, this will be undercut if the president-elect’s most powerful adviser chooses to work with the AfD.
UK mulls reforming political donations to limit Musk’s influence
The UK’s election watchdog has called on the government to restrict donations from foreigners amid rising concerns about Musk’s rumored plan to donate $100 million to Reform UK. The figure would amount to twice the ruling Labour party’s annual budget, and would put further wind into the sails of the insurgent party that has started to challenge both the country’s government and the opposition Conservatives in recent polling. The money could help the party become “a highly organized, centralized, professional operation” with resources to spend on things like targeted data and funding a vast grassroots campaign, a New Statesman editor said.
EU faces a dilemma over how to deal with Musk
Even as Musk faces investigations in Brussels for running his social media platform X in violation of EU regulations, the Tesla and SpaceX owner’s political heft means that reining him in comes at a high cost for transatlantic relations. “If Mr Musk’s influence in Washington holds… it may become politically unpalatable for Europe to lay its regulatory mitts on him,” The Economist argued. Signs of this are already emerging: Vice president-elect JD Vance has suggested that American support for NATO could depend in part on whether or not the bloc seeks to regulate the social media platform. The EU’s new tech tsar has so far struck a more conciliatory tone towards Musk, after a series of spats between the billionaire and EU officials.