Political power mover and tech billionaire Elon Musk made a surprise address at the campaign launch for Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Musk, who spoke to the crowd in a live video, was met with huge cheers by the roughly 4,500 AfD supporters gathered inside a hall in the eastern German city of Halle last 25 January.
While speaking with party leader Alice Weidel, AfD’s candidate for chancellor, Musk reiterated his belief that AfD is Germany’s "best hope" in the upcoming general election on 23 February.
Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is heading to snap elections in February after Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a vote of confidence and his governing coalition collapsed after months of instability.
AfD has seen an upswell in support, recently becoming the first far-right party to win a state election in Germany since the Nazi era and performing well in opinion polls for the upcoming election. At the same time, the party has been criticized for its staunch anti-immigrant stance. All of Germany’s mainstream political parties have said they will not work with the AfD.
Musk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, stressed the importance “that people take pride in Germany and being German,” a sentiment that was met with rapturous cheers at the AfD rally.
The billionaire also addressed the issue of immigration — a key issue in the election — urging Wiedel and her supporters not to lose their national pride in "some kind of multiculturalism that dilutes everything."
In the United Kingdom, the prime minister accused Musk of spreading “lies” after the billionaire provoked a social media backlash against the British government. Musk has also pushed for the release of jailed far-right political activist Tommy Robinson and amplified a social media uproar that fueled anti-immigration riots.
The German government has even accused Musk of trying to influence its election over his endorsement of the AfD.
Despite the scrutiny, Musk has continued to voice his support for the populist political movements that have galvanized numerous European elections. He has also drawn parallels between the political climate in Germany and the United States while emphasizing the global impact the approaching election could have.