Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and
Carlos Barria | Reuters
Tesla CEO Elon Muska major donor and advisor to the president-elect Donald TrumpNow he is trying to influence Germany’s elections by posting on X a recommendation for the country’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
In one post On Thursday evening, Musk wrote: “Only the AfD can save Germany.”
Musk, who has over 200 million listed followers on the website he owns, made the comment while sharing a post from far-right influencer Naomi Seibt, who claimed that Germany’s “presumptive next chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) was appalled by the idea.” “that Germany should follow the example of Elon Musk and Javier Milei,” referring to the Argentine president.
Seibt has a history of promoting white nationalist ideology, The Guardian previously reportedand has disputed the validity of scientific consensus around climate change, namely that it is caused by fossil fuel emissions.
In a post on
“The AfD’s task is to restore the image of the Nazi movement,” Murphy wrote. He added that one of the party leaders had a license plate that was “an open homage to Hitler” and another “described Judaism as the ‘inner enemy’ in Germany.”
Musk and Tesla’s investor relations team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
German on Friday Chancellor Olaf Scholza center-left Social Democrat, rejected Musk’s claim that only the far-right party could “save Germany.”
Under the leadership of Scholz GermanyGermany’s left-wing coalition failed in November and the AfD is currently in second place in polls ahead of February’s elections. Across Germany, where the AfD took top positions in state elections, the other parties fundamentally refused to enter into a coalition with it.
According to Pew Research, “The AfD campaigned against arms deliveries to Ukraine and demanded one End of sanctions on Russia,” a view shared by Musk.
Far-right parties have also gained ground in the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and elsewhere. Many cheered Trump’s election, which Musk financed with $277 million in donations to the campaign and related Republican causes.
Tesla shares have risen about 75% since Trump’s victory. surpass last week its all-time high from 2021.
AfD has allegedly criticized Tesla and its factory outside Berlin. The party claimed that many of the thousands of Tesla workers there commute from Poland or Berlin, limiting the economic benefit to the local community in Brandenburg.
The AfD generally sees electric vehicles as part of an ideological climate movement and not good for the German auto industry.
Europe has been a difficult market for Tesla this year. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, Tesla car sales fell 40.9% in November, outpacing the overall 9.5% decline in battery-electric vehicle sales.
Elsewhere in Europe, Musk has backed right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and has expressed support for Nigel Farage in the United Kingdom, a populist politician and head of Reform UK. In South America, Musk supported and maintained a friendship with Argentine President Milei, a self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist.
Stay Ahead of the Curve!