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LONDON (AP) — Fresh from pouring his money and energies into helping Donald Trump win re-election, Elon Musk has trained his sights on Europe, setting off alarm bells among politicians across the continent.
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX approved the right-wing’s excessive choice for Germany, demanded the release of jailed anti-Islam extremist Tommy Robinson, and called the British prime minister Starmer, an evil tyrant who is in prison.
Many European politicians have been involved through care. Musk’s feed in his social network X is splashed with abusive language, labeling politicians “stupid cretin” and “cheesy cowards”, such as extreme right -wing and anti -immigrant accounts retweets.
Andrew Chadwick, a professor of political communication at Laughborough University, which Musk uses X “a bit like an old newspaper”, to promulgate his political opinions.
“We have noticed that Musk began to align much more with a foreign right -right movement,” Chadwick said. Together, an organization of other right -wing influencers, many of them with giant followers and to provide their evidence as a basis for their interventions in European politics. “
READ MORE: Musk’s backing of far-right AfD party creates uproar in Germany ahead of key elections
Musk has been inserted in politics in Germany, which is directed to a February 23 election after the Coalition Fracture Cave with 3 portions of the Chancellor of the Central-Gouche.
On Dec. 20, Musk wrote on X: “Only the AfD can save Germany,” a reference to the Alternative for Germany party, which is under observation by the domestic intelligence agency for suspected extremism.
He doubled AFD in an article for the Welt Am Sonunta newspaper, saying that Germany is “the restriction of economic and cultural collapse. ” Later this week, Musk deserves to organize a living cat in X with the AFD co-leader, Alice Weidel.
Scholz’s reaction embodies the dilemma that European politicians faced: they forget and leave the comments of undisputed musk, or dedicate and threaten to amplify them.
Scholz said it was vital to “stay cool” in non-public attacks, but he called Musk’s involvement in German politics. In a New Year’s message, Scholz noted that Germany’s trail to maintain “will not yet be through social media owners” through German voters.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, warned that the dangers raised through force out of control in the hands of technological billionaires and destabilization have an effect on what they can have on democratic establishments on Monday.
“Who could have imagined 10 years ago that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the Global would interfere in elections, adding in Germany?”Macron said.
Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said Musk’s habit was “unsettling and far from fun. “
“Someone cannot simply use their platform, wealth and connections to try to dictate how governments are formed in each nation,” he told Parapolitika Radio. “This is becoming increasingly dangerous.”
Musk has attacked British politics since the Labor Party of the left center was elected in July, calling Starmer an “evil” leader who presides over a “tyrannical police”.
The recent one focuses on the sexual abuse of children, namely a series of cases that rocked northern English cities several years ago, in which teams of men, largely of Pakistani origins, were attempted to treat and abuse dozens of more common girls. they have been used through far-right activists to link child abuse to immigration and Islam.
Musk has accused Starmer of failing to bring perpetrators to justice, while England’s director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013 strongly refuses a Starmer.
“Starmer must go and he must face charges for his complicity in the worst mass crime in the history of Britain,” Musk tweeted.
Chadwick said: “There have been doubts about the component of the political elite in the United Kingdom to get involved” with the “incredibly inflammatory comments” of Musk. But the Starmer replaced his game on Monday, condemning “lies and misinformation” and accusing conservative politicians in the United Kingdom. who echoed some of Musk’s problems to “amplify what the right says. “
“I enjoy the cut and thrust of politics, the robust debate that we must have, but that’s got to be based on facts and truth, not on lies,” the prime minister said.
Starmer faces the calls to harden Great Britain’s legislation in foreign interference, and governments around the global are under tension to leave X. The United Kingdom and German governments say they have the ‘intention of leaving the platform.
Musk’s X is under investigation through the European government who check out to slow down hatred, disinformation and other poisonous content on social networks. The European Union has introduced a procedure for an offense opposed to X under the Bloc virtual service law, and the EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier.
Musk, a defender of self -proclaimed freedom of disposition, criticizes efforts to social networks. In comparison, British attempts to eliminate online misinformation through the online security law with censorship in the Soviet Union.
Musk clearly enjoys baiting mainstream politicians on social media, but Chadwick said it “remains to be seen” whether his posting changes public attitudes or helps the causes he champions.
And the political interventions carry risk for him. His comments are being watched closely by Tesla investors for signs he could be turning off car buyers who don’t agree with his politics.
Tesla is already having in Europe, where new registrations for Musk’s e-cars fell 13% in the first nine months of 2023, according to car researcher Jato Dynamics. In Germany, Tesla’s registrations fell by 44%.
Jato senior analyst Felipe Munoz said Musk’s candor is rare and dictates for the owner of a publicly traded company, even if it was arguably worth it in the end.
“Europe is (the) right thing,” he said, pointing to politicians, in particular Sailor Le Pen and Italy’s first Giorgia Meloni.
“Look at what happened in the U.S. His bet on Trump worked. He is playing the same game in Europe.”
Geir Moulson in Berlin, Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Raf Casert in Brussels, Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Greece, and Bernard Condon in New York contributed to this story.
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