Germany accuses billionaire Elon Musk of election interference

Berlin [Germany], December 31: "The reality is that billionaire Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election," German government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said, according to The Guardian.
The statement comes after Musk has made several statements in support of the AfD. In a recent editorial in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, the world's richest billionaire argued that Germany was on the brink of economic and cultural collapse, and that the AfD party was Germany's last hope. A senior editor at Welt am Sonntag resigned after the newspaper decided to publish Musk's article.
A German government spokesman said Musk had the right to freely express his views, but added: "After all, freedom of speech also includes the most meaningless things."
For his part, Musk argued that he had the right to intervene in German politics because of his "significant investments" in the country. Musk praised the AfD's approach to regulation, as well as its open stance on taxes and markets.
Several German politicians have also criticized Musk for his support of the AfD. Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) co-leader Lars Klingbeil accused Musk on December 30 of "wanting to weaken Germany and plunge it into chaos."
Similarly, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach of the SPD called Musk's intervention "undignified and problematic." Last week, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier indirectly criticized Musk in a short speech announcing the formal dissolution of parliament.
Mr. Musk's statements came as Germans prepare to hold a general election on February 23, 2025, following the collapse of the coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz .
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper