Elon Musk, the high-profile CEO of Tesla and a significant donor and adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, recently turned his attention to German politics. On X, the social media platform he owns, Musk endorsed Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, claiming “Only the AfD can save Germany.”
Musk, with over 200 million followers on X, shared a post from Naomi Seibt, a controversial figure known for her far-right views, where she suggested that Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz of the CDU, would be wary of following in the footsteps of Musk and Argentina’s president, Javier Milei. Seibt has a known history of promoting white nationalist ideologies and questions the scientific consensus on climate change.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut criticized Musk for his support, labeling him an “out of touch billionaire” who backs Germany’s neo-Nazi party. He pointed out that the AfD is attempting to cleanse the image of the Nazi movement and mentioned that some party leaders have engaged in activities suggesting this, like having a license plate allegedly honoring Hitler.
Neither Musk nor Tesla’s investor relations team have responded to requests for comments on this matter. However, Germany’s current Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a center-left Social Democrat, has dismissed Musk’s assertion about the far-right being Germany’s savior. Although under Scholz, left-wing coalitions in Germany have seen better days, with the AfD currently gaining polling momentum.
According to Pew Research, the AfD has called for ending Germany’s support to Ukraine and lifting sanctions on Russia, which aligns with Musk’s opinion. This rise of the far-right isn’t isolated to Germany, as similar parties have been gaining traction in countries like the Netherlands, Austria, and Finland. Many of these parties celebrated Trump’s election win, which Musk financially supported with $277 million directed towards the campaign and related Republican activities. Interestingly, since Trump’s win, Tesla’s stock has surged by about 75%, hitting a new high since 2021.
Despite this, the AfD has had its critiques of Tesla, particularly its factory near Berlin. They argue that many workers at the factory commute from outside the local area, which they claim limits the local economic impact. The party also seems skeptical about electric vehicles in general, viewing them as part of a broader ideological climate agenda that threatens Germany’s car industry.
Tesla has seen a challenging year in Europe, with car sales dropping over 40% in November, based on data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. In addition to Germany, Musk has shown support for other right-wing leaders across Europe, such as Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Nigel Farage in the UK. In South America, he’s aligned himself with Argentina’s President Milei.
Recently, after a tragic car incident at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, which resulted in several fatalities, Musk reacted strongly. In response to a post showing Chancellor Scholz during a press conference about the incident, Musk called for Scholz’s immediate resignation, branding him an “incompetent fool.”
