Technical entrepreneur Elon Musk caused a storm after support Germany's far-right party in a major newspaper on the eve of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of the public opinion editor in protest.
Germany is due to vote in a snap election on February 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party ruling coalition collapsed last month amid a dispute over how to revive the country's stagnant economy.
Musk's guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag — a subsidiary of Axel Springer Group-owned POLITICO — published in German over the weekend marked the second time this month that Musk has endorsed the Alternative for Germany, or AfD.
“Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the last spark of hope for this country,” Musk wrote in his translated comments.
He went on to say that the far-right party “can lead the country to a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality.”
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The CEO of Tesla Motors also wrote that his investment in Germany gives him the right to comment on the situation in the country.
The AfD is showing strong results in the polls, but its candidate for the top job, Alisa Weidel, has no real chance of becoming chancellor because other parties refuse to cooperate with the far-right party.
In his opinion, the tech billionaire challenged the public image of the party.
“The image of the AfD as right-wing extremism is patently false, considering that Alice Weidel, the leader of the party, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!”
Musk's comment led to a debate in German media about the limits of free speech, and the newspaper's editor announced his resignation, apparently on Musk's social media platform X.
“I have always enjoyed running the WELT and WAMS opinion section. Today, an article by Elon Musk appeared in Welt am Sonntag. I submitted my resignation letter yesterday after it was printed,” Eva Marie Kogel wrote.
Musk's opinion was accompanied by a critical article by the future editor-in-chief of the Welt group Jan Philippe Burgard.
“Musk's diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach that only the AfD can save Germany is fatally flawed,” Burghardt wrote.
Asked by the German press agency for comment, current Welt group editor-in-chief Ulf Poshardt and Burghardt, who is due to take over on January 1, said in a joint statement that the discussion surrounding Musk's article was “very insightful. Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression”.
“It will continue to define the compass of 'the world' in the future. We will further develop Die Welt as a forum for such debates,” they wrote to dpa.
Musk waded hard in the 2024 US presidential election, investing millions in the election of President-elect Donald Trump. Trump awarded him after the election appointing Musk as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, with Vivek Ramaswamy.
Musk and Ramaswamy had a falling out over the weekend on X, the social media platform owned by Musk, over H-1B visas that apply to high-skilled workers. Musk, who came to the U.S. on an H-1B visa, defended the use of the policy amid backlash from Laura Loomer and other Trump supporters who support tough immigration policies.
In an interview with New York PostTrump said he's “always liked the visas,” even though it's the first time he's tried to change the program.
“I own a lot of H-1B visas. I was a supporter of H-1B. I have used it many times. It's a great program,” Trump told the newspaper.