Tesla CEO Elon Muskdonor and advisor to the President-elect Donald Trumpnow trying to influence the German election, posting an endorsement on X of the country's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
In a mail On Thursday night, Musk wrote, “Only the AfD can save Germany. “
Musk, who has more than 200 million registered followers on the site he owns, made the comment while sharing a post from far-right influencer Naomi Seibt, who said “the Germany's next dubious chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is insulted by the idea that Germany should follow the example of Elon Musk and Javier Milei,” referring to the president of Argentina.
Seibt has a history of promoting white nationalist ideology, The Guardian previously reportedand has denied validity scientific consensus about climate change, namely that it is driven by fossil fuel emissions.
In a post on X, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called Musk an “accidental billionaire running the incoming Trump Administration” who “enthusiastically supports the party neo-Nazi in Germany”.
“The AfD's mission is to restore the image of the Nazi movement,” Murphy wrote. He said one of the party's leaders has a license plate that is “an open tribute to Hitler,” while another “describes Judaism as the 'enemy within' in Germany.
Musk and Tesla's investor relations team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf ScholzSocial Democrats in the center, rejecting Musk's claim that only the far-right party “can save Germany.” “
Under Scholz's direction, GermanyThe left-wing coalition collapsed in November, and AfD is currently polling in second place ahead of the February elections. Across Germany, where the AfD has stood strong in state elections, the other parties have generally refused to form coalitions with it.
According to Pew Research, “AfD has been campaigning against the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and asked end of sanctions on Russia,” a view shared by Musk.
Far-right parties have also gained ground in the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and elsewhere. Trump's election, which Musk helped finance through $277 million in donations to the campaign and related Republican causes, was widely praised.
Tesla stock is up about 75% since Trump won, going over it the highest level since 2021 last week.
AfD has reported criticized Tesla and his factory outside Berlin. The party said that many of Tesla's thousands of workers there travel in from Poland or Berlin, limiting the economic benefits to the local community in Brandenburg.
The AfD generally sees electric vehicles as part of an ideological climate movement, which is not good for the German car industry.
Europe has been a tough market for Tesla this year. According to data from the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers, sales of Tesla cars declined 40.9% in November, higher than the overall decline of 9.5% in sales of battery electric vehicles.
Elsewhere in Europe, Musk endorsed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and has shown support for Nigel Farage in the UK, a populist politician and leader of Reform UK. In South America, Musk agreed and has a relationship with the President of Argentina Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist.
In Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday, a driver drove his car into a large crowd at a Christmas market, resulting in deaths and dozens of injuries.
In response to a post on X showing Chancellor Scholz in a press conference after the incident, Musk wrote, “Scholz should resign immediately. An incompetent fool.
