Elon Musk ensures turmoil in Europe - what awaits him?

Elon Musk ensures turmoil in Europe - what awaits him?

"I would prefer to stay out of politics," explained Elon Musk in 2021 to his followers on the platform, which was then known as Twitter. A lot has changed since then.

The influence of Elon Musk on European politics

Musk is now the owner of the social media giant, which has been renamed X and serves as his personal platform. He welcomed right -wing extremists agitators who were excluded among previous owners. Musk invested a QuarterMillIard Dollar To choose states and stood just a few steps away when Trump took off the oath of office on Monday.

A new goal: Europe in sight

Now that this task is done, the richest man in the world seems to have pursued a new goal: to turn Europe upside down with a government system at the same time. The Mogul has staged itself as a royal maker in the populist wave, which brings several centric European leaders into trouble. "From Maga to mega: make Europe big again!" He posted on Saturday and enjoyed the discomfort that he triggered on the continent.

criticism by EU leaders

Several EU leaders have accused him of interfening with their affairs and supporting dangerous characters. Musk led a brutal and personal online campaign against the British government, called for the release of a right-wing extremist activist and supported a right-wing extremist party in Germany, which represents a strong nationalist platform and has been associated with controversies about the views of some of their members at the Nazi era.

misinformation and their effects

At the same time, a flood of Misery platform -Many of them arose from the rage of high migration-the governments of Europe. Some in Great Britain are responsible for having contributed to the wave of right -wing extremist unrest last summer.

The challenges for Europe

"I am amazed at his uninhibited assumption that he can intervene in several countries where the problems are complex," said Eric Nelson, a diplomat that served as an ambassador in Bosnia and Herzegovina during Trump's first term. "To say he knew best. That is quite a hybris."

But the reach of X, Musk's extreme wealth and his role as an efficiency consultant for Trump make him a difficult problem for European politics. Decision -makers in Europe ask the questions: Why is Musk interested in us and what can we do about it? None of these problems is easy to answer. "The Europeans are stuck," said Bill Echikson, Senior Fellow in Technology Policy at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and former communication manager for Google in Europe.

The political evolution of Musk

Musk's political views have developed rapidly since its enemy takeover of Twitter in 2022. "For Twitter to earn public trust, it has to be politically neutral," he existed at the time. He described politics as a "sadness generator" and wrote: "Politics is war and the truth is the first victim."

populism and Musk’s position in Europe

Today Musk is at the forefront. The owner of the platform enjoys a measure of disruptive influence, which only a few not elected figures ever had without being subject to control. He praises and shares the views of radical figures and has a decisive impact on anti-establishment populists across Europe. However, it is unclear what influence he will have on Trump's foreign policy - and that is exactly what makes it difficult for European governments to evaluate its interventions.

The future of politics in Europe

There are differences in why Musk is targeting Europe. It could be personal. "When Elon Twitter took over, there was a concerted attempt to prevent companies from advertising on his platform," said Trevor Traina, Trump's former ambassador in Austria. "Elon has experienced the same bitter medicine first -hand that Donald Trump and others had to swallow, and I think that's his answer to today's events."

or it could be financial in nature; A more timeless story that makes the innovator compete against the regulators. "I think his main goal is always with his own business interests," says Nelson.

could Europe hit back?

When it comes to politics in Europe, Musk has his favorites here. He often writes about reform UK, the populist British party, and the right -wing extremist alternative for Germany (AfD). But he doesn't mention Marine Le Pen, the French antagonist of Emmanuel Macron's government, and does not seem to be interested in Austria either.

British and German politics are a flexible terrain; The established parties in both countries are uniquely unpopular, partly burdened by inflation or scandals in the government, or are perceived by a large part of the public as uninspired and technocratic. Germany is facing a Landtag election won.

regulatory hurdles

Musk is also offset by regulatory challenges. A punishment that could possibly achieve up to 6 % of the global annual turnover of X is pending as soon as the EU investigates an investigation into possible violations of the rules of the comprehensive Digital Services Act , which regulates how the tech industry deals with misinformations and illegal content on social media.

For the moment Musks could protect him from such a review. "I don't expect (Europe) to do too much; they don't want to start a war with Donald Trump," said Echikson. But the more the tech mogul interferes in the concerns of Europe, the more tense this approach.

"If he, as it looks, intervenes in politics," said Onwurah, "he has to listen and speak as part of it."