Migration policy

Italy’s head of state resents criticism from Musk

Italian President Sergio Mattarella has reacted to tech billionaire Elon Musk's repeated criticism of the Mediterranean country's migration policy.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/AFP/EVARISTO SA, AFP/Stefani Reynolds, AFP/Adnan Beci)

After US billionaire Elon Musk's repeated criticism of Italy's migration policy, the head of state of the EU member state has had enough. Sergio Mattarella rebuked the Tesla founder and forbade him from interfering in Italy's affairs.

"Italy is a great, democratic country and can take care of itself," Mattarella wrote on Wednesday. Anyone who - like Musk - is to take on an "important government function" in a friendly and allied state "must respect its sovereignty and cannot make it their business to give it instructions", it said in a diplomatically worded rebuke to Musk, who is to be responsible for efficient governance under the future US administration of President Donald Trump.

The controversial detention camp in Albania(Bild: APA/AFP/Adnan Beci)

On Tuesday, Musk became involved in a dispute between the Italian judiciary and the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meloni is good friends with the richest man in the world. "These judges must go," Musk wrote on his short message platform X about the government's plans under Meloni, which have been banned by the judiciary, to bring Mediterranean migrants to the non-EU country of Albania in order to process their asylum applications there.

Musk relents, but insists on "own opinion"
Following the rebuke from the Italian head of state, Meloni spoke to Musk on the phone. According to the daily newspaper "La Stampa", the head of government called on the entrepreneur not to get her cabinet into trouble. A short time later, the entrepreneur relented and informed his representative in Italy, Andrea Stroppa, that he respected Mattarella and the Italian constitution. However, Musk would continue to "openly express his own opinion", the statement said.