Elon Musk has sparked controversy in Germany after calling Chancellor Olaf Scholz an “incompetent fool” and supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
In an article about X, Musk shared for the first time a video through right-wing influencer Naomi Seibt in which he criticizes Friedrich Merz, one of the leading candidates for the German chancellorship.
“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Musk, who is the richest person in the world, wrote alongside the post.
Musk then addressed the news of an attack on Friday at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg that killed at least five people.
Musk shared a post purportedly featuring a symbol of the suspect saying the attack is the “DIRECT RESULT of out-of-control mass immigration. “
“Scholz resigns immediately. An incompetent moron,” Musk added in another post.
Prominent right-wing figures across Europe used the incident to publicize anti-immigration rhetoric and call for stricter border controls.
Musk’s comments, which come just two months before Germany is set to hold a snap federal election, have sparked backlash in the country.
Scholz appeared to respond indirectly at a press conference in Berlin, saying, “We have freedom of speech here. That also applies to multimillionaires. Freedom of speech also means that you’re able to say things that aren’t right and do not contain good political advice,” per the Guardian.
Karl Lauterbach, Germany’s fitness minister, said in X that Musk “should interfere in our politics, adding that “his platform profits from hate and incitement and radicalizes people. “
The AfD party was created in 2013 as an anti-euro party, but has since become more focused on immigration and is considered a far-right party.
Musk, however, has questioned in the past how far-right the party’s policies are.
In an article on X in June, he wrote: “Why is there such a negative reaction from other people about the AfD? »
“They keep talking about the far right, but the AfD policies I’ve heard about don’t seem extremist. Maybe I’m missing something,” he added.
The Tesla CEO has shown growing support for right-wing leaders, including Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Nigel Farage, leader of the UK’s Reform Party.
Earlier this week, Farage boasted that Musk was “right behind” him and advised that the tech mogul could financially fund his party.
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