Charges in Germany Against Elon Musk In the document filed, Musk is accused of attempting to interfere with the nation’s upcoming national election in Germany. President-elect Donald Trump appointed him the new co-chair of the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) and a close confidant. Musk has outspokenly supported the Alternative für Deutschland party of Germany’s far-right, which was labeled as extremist by German authorities.
For instance, Christiane Hoffmann, the spokeswoman of the German government, did so in a news conference on Monday. She said Musk’s public endorsements and recent commentary have equated to election interference.
US tech billionaire Elon Musk on Saturday reaffirmed his backing for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in an op-ed published by the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. His comments set off a storm of criticism in Germany.https://t.co/fRMtZ36Sow
— DW News (@dwnews) December 30, 2024
“What Musk is doing is disconcerting,” said Hoffmann. “Freedom of opinion exists but cannot be a shield for endorsing nonsense that undermines democratic processes.”
Musk wrote an opinion editorial for one of Germany’s largest newspapers over the weekend, supporting AfD.
Musk’s Endorsement Of AfD Sparks Widespread German Backlash
The party has increasingly been criticized over its contentious views on immigration and climate policies. Musk, the Tesla founder and head of X, felt justified in supporting the political party since his corporations do business in the region where the gigafactory runs near Berlin.
Musk’s social media platform X has amplified his endorsements; in one post, he labeled German Chancellor Olaf Scholz a “fool” for opposing the AfD, further inflaming tensions between the billionaire and the German government.
Musk’s moves have elicited an unprecedented backlash from all quarters in Germany. Critics say his influence, mixed with his platform, might distort public opinion and disrupt the democratic process of the nation.
The allegations emerge with Musk assuming his new role as DOGE Co-Chair alongside crypto-friendly politician Vivek Ramaswamy, an advisory body appointed by President-elect Donald Trump and vowed to demolish bureaucratic inefficiencies by rewriting federal regulations.
That has only just come as Musk seeks to play the policymaker in the US barely days after foraying into German politics, making it suspect what meaning this carries in the taut state of international relations at present times.
President-elect Trump, who assumes the office on Jan. 20, has refused to cut ties with Musk and Ramaswamy. At a news conference last November, Trump bragged about the tandem of being friends of his approaching presidency and the cause of reducing federal regulation while encouraging enterprise in cryptocurrencies.
“These two great Americans will help take apart the D.C. bureaucracy, slay the overregulation beast, and let America’s incredible industries like crypto grow,” Trump said.
We’ve already seen it in the momentous crypto regulation changes with the Trump administration. During last week’s Bitcoin 2024 Conference, he promised a new era of crypto-friendly policy: “The rules will be written by people who love your industry, not hate it.
Part of this transition will see outgoing chair Gary Gensler, whose enforcement-heavy approach to digital assets has been adversarial with the crypto community, replaced by former SEC commissioner Paul Atkins.
Earlier this month, his resignation heralded the end of an era of regulatory tension, and industry leaders were hopeful that a more collaborative approach might be taken up under Atkins. This only adds to the high friction within U.S.-German relations at a level that has kept two of the world’s most historically allied nations apart.
Now, Musk is DOGE co-chair and an ascending political star overseas; the intersection of technology, politics, and international governance has never been as pronounced. With Germany going into the election and the recent Trump inauguration, aftershocks from Musk’s moves will probably spill well beyond election cycles. How such controversial endorsements by Musk would impact materially in Germany or further complicate international relations remains to be seen.
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