Elon Musk Endorses Far-Right AfD Party, Sparking Outrage in Germany

Elon Musk has entered Germany's political arena by endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, marking another global political intervention from the billionaire entrepreneur. Musk, a prominent supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, shared a video on social media on Friday from right-wing activist Naomi Seibt, calling the AfD the only party capable of saving Germany. His tweet, which read "Only the AfD can save Germany," was met with approval from Alice Weidel, the AfD leader, who responded, "Yes! You are perfectly right!"

The AfD, which has been classified as a suspected extremist organization by Germany's domestic intelligence services, is on track to make significant gains in the upcoming election on February 23. The election was prompted by the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition government, and polling suggests the AfD could secure around 19% of the vote, trailing the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is expected to win approximately 30%. Despite this support, no other party has shown willingness to form a coalition with the AfD.

Musk, who acquired the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in 2022, has used the platform to air political opinions and amplify right-wing voices. His remarks have drawn the ire of several German politicians, who criticized his backing of the AfD. Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Musk's comments, saying that freedom of expression applies to everyone, including billionaires, but that Musk's advice was misguided. Alexander Throm of the CDU also expressed surprise at Musk's intervention, stating that the AfD would not be part of any future government. Other political figures, such as Clara Bünger from the Left Party, labeled Musk's comments as interference and suggested he...