America not enough?

Musk networks with right-wing populists in Europe

(Bild: AFP/Getty Images/Andrew Harnik)

Following Donald Trump's election victory in the USA, Elon Musk is increasingly getting involved with Europe's right-wing populists. In addition to hymns of praise for the German AfD via X and in a guest article for "Welt am Sonntag", he is also said to have held out the prospect of party donations to Nigel Farage. 

Musk has already expressed his sympathy for the AfD, which is the second strongest party in election polls, on several occasions. On December 20, for example, he posted on X (formerly Twitter): "Only the AfD can save Germany" and shortly afterwards, in response to the attack in Magdeburg, sharply attacked Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and called on him to resign.

AfD "last spark of hope" for Germany according to Musk
In a guest article published online on Saturday for "Welt am Sonntag", the advisor to US President-elect Donald Trump now wrote that the far-right party is "the last spark of hope" for Germany, confirming the statement he made on X.

In his contribution, Musk also praised the AfD's approaches to "reducing government overregulation, lowering taxes and deregulating the market" and also on the subject of immigration. 

While the AfD is classified by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a suspected right-wing extremist party and by some state constitutional protection authorities as definitely right-wing extremist, Musk, who was born in South Africa, claims otherwise.

Financial and media influence
So it seems that Musk does not want to limit his political influence to the USA alone after Trump's election victory in the USA. Scientists and authors warn above all of Musk's great financial and media influence via the short message service X (formerly Twitter). His wealth and media reach, with more than 200 million followers worldwide, enable him not only to shape political debates, but also to influence political processes.

Musk has already spent millions on Trump's behalf during the US election campaign and, as his advisor, is now advocating a radical dismantling of state authorities and regulatory institutions. Critics accuse him of wanting to abolish control over his online platform X.

95 million euros for Farage?
Musk has also interfered in British domestic politics with his globally used short message service and expressed sympathy for far-right movements in other countries. There are media reports that he is said to support Nigel Farage's British anti-EU party with millions.

It is not yet clear how much the sum will be, but according to media reports it could be around 95 million euros. According to Farage, he wants to use Musk's donation to expand his party's online presence and win votes. This could give his right-wing populist party a rapid boost in the UK.

Support for Meloni too
A few days after Trump's election victory in November, Musk also intervened in Italian politics in favor of the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He wrote on X about the Rome government's plans to house migrants in Albania, which had been banned by the courts: "These judges must go."