Billionaire Musk accused of 'interfering' in German election for praising far-right party

(CLO) American technology billionaire Elon Musk has caused outrage by praising the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, a move seen as an attempt to influence the upcoming German election in February.

On Sunday (December 29), billionaire Elon Musk wrote a commentary in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag supporting the AfD party, following an earlier post on social media.

Billionaire Elon Musk. Photo: CC/Wcamp9

In an article in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, the world's richest man rejected the far-right leanings of the AfD and believed that the party was "the last ray of hope" for Germany.

“The traditional parties have failed in Germany,” the American tech billionaire wrote in an opinion piece published online by the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. “Their policies have led to economic stagnation, social unrest and the erosion of national identity.”

Billionaire Elon Musk's article appeared at a time when Germany was preparing for a tense parliamentary election. Following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition in November, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier officially announced the dissolution of Parliament and set February 23rd as the date for a new election.

Therefore, Elon Musk received a lot of criticism. Many journalists at the Welt am Sonntag newspaper protested the publication of the article. Eva Marie Kogel, who was formerly the head of readership at the German newspaper, even resigned after Elon Musk's commentary was published.

By Monday (December 30), German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann also accused Elon Musk of "trying to influence the parliamentary elections through his statements." Hoffmann emphasized that Musk "has the right to express his views freely, but is not obligated to share them."

According to Ms. Hoffmann, the upcoming German election is a matter for Germany alone and will be decided by German voters through their ballots. She also stated that since 2021, the German Federal Security Service has included the AfD party on its list of suspected far-right extremist organizations requiring special monitoring.

Quang Anh (according to DW, France24, NYT)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ty-phu-musk-bi-to-can-thiep-vao-bau-cu-duc-vi-ca-ngoi-dang-cuc-huu-post328266.html