The recent endorsement by Elon Musk, the tech mogul and owner of X, to the far-right German party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has sparked a wave of reactions in the European political landscape. His statement that “only AfD can save Germany” has raised concerns, especially considering the historical and political context of said party.
The AfD, founded in 2013, has evolved from being a eurosceptic platform to an extreme right-wing party with radical positions on immigration, climate change, and European policies. It is under surveillance by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Germany due to its potential threat to the democratic order.
Elon Musk supports a far-right German party that some associate with Nazism
Some members of the party have expressed opinions that border on historical revisionism, raising fears about links to extremist ideologies of the past. Although a direct connection to National Socialism has not been proven, the party's rhetoric and its inclination to question democratic values have led most German political parties to establish a cordon sanitaire against it.
In this context, Musk's support not only indirectly legitimizes the AfD, but also complicates the narrative of a unified Germany around its democratic principles. The party's leader, Alice Weidel, celebrated Musk's words as an "early Christmas gift."
However, politicians like Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Christian Lindner, from the Free Democratic Party (FDP), have expressed their concern about this support. Scholz reminded that "freedom of speech allows for saying wrong things" and reaffirmed the commitment of democratic parties to not collaborate with the AfD.
Controversy in Germany due to Elon Musk's support for the AfD party
Musk's connection to German politics seems to go beyond this episode. Inspired by leaders like Javier Milei in Argentina, Musk has adopted disruptive stances that resonate in sectors of the global right. However, his support for a party labeled as extremist raises questions about his true intentions.
In the midst of a Germany facing economic and political challenges, the support of such an influential figure as Musk for a controversial party highlights the growing global polarization. Although the AfD denies links to Nazism, its ideology and rhetoric constantly subject it to scrutiny.