Elon Musk sparked a storm: Is the AfD really saving Germany?

Elon Musk sparked a storm: Is the AfD really saving Germany?

Billionaire and Tesla boss Elon Musk shook the political stage in Germany with a provocative statement. With the statement that only the AfD could save Germany, Musk triggered a storm of indignation. Politicians and the media sharply criticize the entrepreneur and accuse him of interfering in the German election campaign. The AfD, on the other hand, is celebrating the prominent support and is using Musk's comment to make a name for itself among potential voters. The party is now calling for Germany to be saved and is calling for participation (see report at Apollo News ).

The reactions to the controversial tweet did not take long to arrive. An outraged Ulrich Deppendorf, formerly of ARD, quickly made Musk the real US president, described Trump as his puppet and said that Musk was influencing the German election campaign on Trump's behalf. However, the critics failed to provide any evidence for this. But this wind of indignation raises the question of who is actually allowed to comment on German politics: only Hollywood bigwigs and American billionaires against the AfD? The discussion about double standards is reigniting.

The multi-billionaire's freedom of expression

Olaf Scholz, the incumbent Chancellor, appeared calm at a press conference in Berlin and emphasized that freedom of expression also applies to multi-billionaires. However, this does not mean that their statements should necessarily be viewed as good political advice. According to Scholz, all democratic parties in Germany see things differently than Musk.

Despite the quarrels surrounding Musk, the federal government remains active on Platform X, which Musk took over - a sign that the service is still recognized as an important medium for communication and information. However, the development of the service since the takeover has been taken seriously, said government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann. Despite the concerns, X remains an indispensable communication channel for German politics.

Criticism from politics and the public

But not everyone followed Scholz’s calm example. Matthias Miersch from the SPD took a stand against external influences on the German election campaign. Dennis Radtke from the CDU also joined the voices of discontent and described Musk as a threat to democracy. Heidi Reichinnek from Die Linke criticized Musk's influence as the questionable advantage of a super-rich individual who owns a mass media and spreads his views unfiltered. (see detailed report by daily news ).

Christian Lindner from the FDP tried to appease Musk by inviting him to a conversation to explain to him the advantages of freedom-loving politics. Musk's comment could be dismissed as an ill-advised outlier, but emotions run high as soon as the AfD topic comes into play. All of this shows how fragile the political landscape in Germany currently is and how easily it can be influenced by external statements.