Elon Musk has backed Germany’s right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) in a guest opinion piece the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
The article, published online, prompted the commentary editor to resign in protest.
In the article, Musk expanded his article published last week on his social media platform X, stating that “only AFD can save Germany. “
“The representation of AFD as the right extremist is obviously false, since Alice Weidel, the leader, has a same sex spouse of Sri Lanka!
“Does that make you Hitler? Please!”
He added: “The election of Germany is the last spark of hope for this country. “
Germany’s national intelligence firm has classified AFD in the National as an alleged occasion since 2021.
Shortly after the article was published online, the editor-in-chief of the opinion section, Eva Marie Kogel, wrote on X that she had submitted her resignation, with a link to the comment.
However, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief names Jan Philipp Burgard and Ulf Poschardt, who take over from January 1, told Reuters: “Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression.
“This management of positions of polarization and classification of journalists. “
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Under Musk’s comment, the newspaper a reaction from Burgard.
“Musk’s diagnosis is correct, but his curative approach that AFD can save Germany is fatally flawed,” he wrote.
Burgard was referring to the AFD’s preference to leave the European Union and relations with Russia and China.
It comes as Germans are set to vote on 23 February after a coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed.
The AFD is a close second in opinion polls and may only be trying to thwart a centre-right or centre-left majority.