German politicians criticize Musk backing for far-right AfD

The leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Friday welcomed a social media post by Elon Musk in which the American tech billionaire expressed support for her party. 

Musk, a prominent supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump, opined on his platform X (formerly Twitter) on Friday morning that "Only the AfD can save Germany."

Alice Weidel, who is running for chancellor as co-leader of the AfD, responded to Musk an hour later, saying:

"Yes! You are perfectly right! Please also have a look into my interview on President Trump, how socialist Merkel ruined our country, how the Soviet European Union destroys the countries [sic] economic backbone and malfunctioning Germany!"

What is the AfD?

The AfD is currently polling at around 19% ahead of the German federal election in February, second only to the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at around 33%.

But all the other parties currently in the German parliament have ruled out forming a coalition with them.

The AfD is officially suspected of being an extreme-right organization by Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesverfassungsschutz or BfV).

In the eastern German states of Saxony and Thuringia it is officially categorized as such. 

In January 2024, AfD figures including Weidel's former political aide Roland Hartwig were reported to have attended a clandestine meeting of European extreme-right figures including Austrian identitarian Martin Sellner at which a "masterplan" for the deportation of millions of people with migratory backgrounds, including naturalized German citizens, was discussed.

How have other German politicians responded?

Asked about Musk's comments, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: "Freedom of expression also applies to multi-billionaires, but it also means that you're allowed to say things which aren't correct, and aren't good political advice."

Other German lawmakers from across the political spectrum criticized both Musk's post and Weidel's response, slamming "interference" and insisting that no other party will form a government with "fascists bought by billionaires."

"I was a bit surprised because we usually hear that Elon Musk is this gifted wunderkind, but when I hear these comments, I have to doubt that," the CDU's Alexander Throm told DW in Berlin. 

"Change can only be made by those who govern. And the AfD will not govern. Because no other party will form a government with them."

Clara Bünger from the Left Party told DW she had no doubt that Musk's comments constituted "interference" but insisted: "It remains the case that he's not really contributing to anything policy-wise, and that he doesn't really know how political discussions work in Germany."

Anton Hofreiter from the Green Party called the AfD "traitors bought by billionaires" and "a band of fascists who have not only been bought by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin but are now being supported by a multi-billionaire-turned-right-wing-extremist."

In 2019, a German court ruled that Björn Höcke, the leader of the AfD in the regional state parliament in the eastern state of Thuringia, may legally be described as a "fascist," based on a "verifiable factual basis." 

Musk: support for Trump, Farage and now the AfD?

It's not the first time that Musk has addressed the AfD. At the start of June, he posted: "They keep saying 'far right,' but the policies of AfD that I've read about don't sound extremist. Maybe I'm missing something."

After backing President-elect Trump's reelection campaign in the United States this year, Musk has also expressed support for the United Kingdom's far-right "Reform UK" and its populist leader Nigel Farage.

This week, Farage told the BBC that his party is in "open negotiations" with Musk regarding a potential donation, which The Times has reported could be as high as £78m ($100m, €96m), by the far the biggest political donation in British political history, sparking calls for the UK to tighten its electoral rules.

In Germany, state security services have warned that the upcoming federal election could be targeted by disinformation campaigns not only from Russia, but also from the United States.

Meanwhile, the leader of Germany's neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), Christian Lindner, sparked controversy this month when he appeared to praise the political views and activities of Musk and right-wing populist Argentinian President Javier Milei.

"Both Milei and Musk represent views which are in part extreme, absurd and even disturbing," he wrote in the Handelsblatt financial newspaper. "Yet it has to be said: behind the provocations is a disruptive energy which is lacking in Germany."

On Friday, replying to Musk on X, he claimed that he had "initiated a policy debate" with his comments, but cautioned against supporting the AfD.

"While migration control is crucial for Germany, the AfD stands against freedom [and] business – and it's a far-right extremist party," he said. "Don't rush to conclusions from afar. Let's meet, and I'll show you what the FDP stands for."

mf/lo (AFP, dpa)