The German government on Monday accused the world's richest man Elon Musk of influencing February's election after he penned an op-ed this weekend supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. accused of trying to do so.
“It is true that Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election through his statements,” government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said at a press conference on Monday, according to media reports.
Hoffman sought to downplay the importance of Musk's efforts to rally AfD supporters, saying “freedom of expression includes the biggest nonsense.”
The comments come as Musk, who first supported the AfD earlier this month, elaborated on his position in Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper, calling for action as Germany approaches “economic and cultural collapse.” The announcement was made after touching on various issues.
He defended his efforts to get involved in political affairs, saying he had a “right” to do so because he had “significantly invested” in Germany's technological and industrial sectors.
Musk also called for the resignation of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Musk, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, argued in an op-ed that Germany's economy is being handicapped by excessive regulation and bureaucracy.
“AfD understands that economic freedom is not only desirable, but necessary. Our approach of reducing government overregulation, lowering taxes, and deregulating markets reflects the principles that have made Tesla and SpaceX successful. ”, he wrote, according to a rough translation.
He added: “If Germany wants to regain its industrial strength, it needs a party that not only talks about growth but also takes policy measures to create an environment in which companies can grow without significant government intervention.” Ta.
Mr. Musk was selected by President Trump to head the Department of Government Efficiency, along with fellow tech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.
