Elon Musk stormed into Friday’s election in Germany, declaring his support for a far-right anti-Islamic and anti-immigrant party under the watchful eye of the nation’s domestic intelligence agency.
In reference to the Alternative for Germany party, the tech billionaire wrote on X that only the AfD could save Germany.
During its routine news conference on Friday, the German government declined to comment.
On February 23, the most populous nation in Europe is anticipated to cast its ballot. After losing a vote of confidence, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left coalition government fell up on Monday.
This is only the sixth time that a referendum of this kind has been called in the 83 million-person nation that has the greatest economy and the largest population in Europe. It was necessary since the constitution of post-World War II Germany forbids the Bundestag, or parliament, from dissolving itself.
Although Scholz anticipated losing the vote, he had hoped it would help his center-left Social Democratic Party (SDP), which had forged a contentious coalition government with the ecological Green Party and the pro-market Free Democrats.
Prior to holding the vote, Scholz accused his finance minister and Free Democrat colleague Christian Lindner of betraying his confidence by openly supporting an economic strategy that differed from their agreed-upon course.
According to Reuters, the AfD is currently ranked second in opinion polls and could be able to obstruct either a center-left or center-right majority, despite the fact that mainstream parties have historically rejected the party and will not form government coalitions with it.
The AfD was founded in April 2013 as a movement against the euro currency, but since then, it has changed its focus to oppose immigration and Islam. Since then, it has gained popularity both locally and nationally, especially in the former East Germany, which has not been as economically successful as the west.
Since its victory in Thuringia during the Nazi era, it became the first far-right party to receive the most votes in a state election in September.
Despite a number of scandals connected to its leadership, the victory was achieved. The nation’s domestic intelligence service keeps an eye on the party in case it has extremist elements. A German court has twice found party leader Bj rne Hcke guilty of intentionally using Nazi terminology. The decisions have been appealed by him.
Additionally, Maximilian Krah, the party’s front-runner, was compelled to stop campaigning in May after he stated in an Italian publication that not all members of the Nazis’ primary paramilitary group, the SS, were criminals. Another contender was accused of accepting payments from a pro-Russian news portal, and one of his assistants was also accused of spying for China.
Last year, when Musk chastised the German government for its treatment of illegal immigrants, he also expressed support for the AfD.
Having been assigned by President-elect Donald Trump to co-lead a committee known as the Department of Government Efficiency, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla also demanded the dismissal of Italian judges who had questioned the legitimacy of government actions to stop illegal immigration.
Additionally, early this year, he battled with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called Britain a repressive police state and supported calls for a fresh election.
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