Scholz describes Musk as a threat to democracy
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has criticized Elon Musk for his backing of right-wing parties in Europe, labeling it as “completely unacceptable.” Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has criticized what he described as US tech billionaire Elon Musk's meddling in EU politics. Scholz expressed that, while he has no problem with Musk sharing his views, he is troubled by the political affiliations Musk endorses.
In December, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX asserted that the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) was the only party able to “save Germany” and commended its anti-immigration policies, referring to Scholz as an “incompetent fool.” In response, the German chancellor suggested that Musk is simply seeking online attention and encouraged people not to “feed the troll.”
During a press briefing on Friday, Scholz characterized Musk’s activities as a risk to the EU. He remarked, “This is something that is completely unacceptable, it endangers the democratic development of Europe, it endangers our community and it is to be criticized,” following discussions with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Scholz emphasized that while Musk, who has positioned himself as a close adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump, is entitled to his political expression, he is wary of Musk’s support for “the extreme right throughout Europe, in Britain, in Germany, in many, many other countries, and that is something that is completely unacceptable.”
Last week, Musk hosted a livestream with AfD co-chair Alice Weidel on his social media platform, X. During this session, he reiterated his earlier claims, stating, “only AfD can save Germany.”
The livestream attracted significant scrutiny from the EU, which sent around 150 tech specialists and officials to monitor the event, arguing that it could provide an “unfair advantage” to the AfD ahead of snap elections set for late February. The party currently polls second, garnering about 20% of public support.
The interview with Weidel sparked outrage in Germany, leading over 60 universities and research institutions to announce they were leaving X, citing “increasing radicalization” on the platform. Additionally, two labor unions and Germany's top federal court have also withdrawn from the site.
On Wednesday, the German Defense Ministry and Armed Forces declared they would cease posting on X, arguing that it creates “difficulties in having a factual exchange.”
X has faced increasing scrutiny from Brussels since December 2023. In July 2024, the platform was charged with misleading users, being non-transparent, and not providing certain public data. Under the EU Digital Services Act enacted in 2022, it risks penalties of up to 6% of its annual global revenue for non-compliance with the bloc’s transparency regulations.
Musk has previously criticized the DSA as “misinformation” and accused the EU of attempting to force X into an “illegal secret deal” to suppress free speech on the platform.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
In December, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX asserted that the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) was the only party able to “save Germany” and commended its anti-immigration policies, referring to Scholz as an “incompetent fool.” In response, the German chancellor suggested that Musk is simply seeking online attention and encouraged people not to “feed the troll.”
During a press briefing on Friday, Scholz characterized Musk’s activities as a risk to the EU. He remarked, “This is something that is completely unacceptable, it endangers the democratic development of Europe, it endangers our community and it is to be criticized,” following discussions with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Scholz emphasized that while Musk, who has positioned himself as a close adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump, is entitled to his political expression, he is wary of Musk’s support for “the extreme right throughout Europe, in Britain, in Germany, in many, many other countries, and that is something that is completely unacceptable.”
Last week, Musk hosted a livestream with AfD co-chair Alice Weidel on his social media platform, X. During this session, he reiterated his earlier claims, stating, “only AfD can save Germany.”
The livestream attracted significant scrutiny from the EU, which sent around 150 tech specialists and officials to monitor the event, arguing that it could provide an “unfair advantage” to the AfD ahead of snap elections set for late February. The party currently polls second, garnering about 20% of public support.
The interview with Weidel sparked outrage in Germany, leading over 60 universities and research institutions to announce they were leaving X, citing “increasing radicalization” on the platform. Additionally, two labor unions and Germany's top federal court have also withdrawn from the site.
On Wednesday, the German Defense Ministry and Armed Forces declared they would cease posting on X, arguing that it creates “difficulties in having a factual exchange.”
X has faced increasing scrutiny from Brussels since December 2023. In July 2024, the platform was charged with misleading users, being non-transparent, and not providing certain public data. Under the EU Digital Services Act enacted in 2022, it risks penalties of up to 6% of its annual global revenue for non-compliance with the bloc’s transparency regulations.
Musk has previously criticized the DSA as “misinformation” and accused the EU of attempting to force X into an “illegal secret deal” to suppress free speech on the platform.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
