Tesla CEO and
Carlos Barea | Reuters
Tesla CEO Elon Muska major donor and advisor to the president-elect Donald TrumpHe is now seeking to influence the German elections, posting his endorsement on X for the country's far-right Alternative for Germany party.
In a mail “Only the AfD can save Germany,” Musk wrote on Thursday night.
Musk, who has more than 200 million followers on his site, made the comment while sharing a post from far-right influencer Naomi Seibt, who claimed that “presumptive next German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is horrified by the idea.” Germany should follow the example of Elon Musk and Javier Miley,” he said, referring to the President of Argentina.
Seibt has a history of promoting white nationalist ideology, The Guardian I mentioned previouslyHe denied its authenticity Scientific consensus About climate change, that is, it is driven by fossil fuel emissions.
In a post on X, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called Musk “an out-of-touch billionaire running the incoming Trump administration” who “enthusiastically supports Germany’s neo-Nazi party.”
“The AfD’s mission is to rehabilitate the image of the Nazi movement,” Murphy wrote. He added that one party leader had a license plate that represented “an explicit tribute to Hitler,” and another “described Judaism as the ‘internal enemy’ in Germany.”
Musk and Tesla's investor relations teams did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
GermanyHis party's left-wing coalition collapsed in November, and the AfD is currently ranked second in opinion polls ahead of the February elections. Across Germany, where the AfD placed highly in state elections, other parties generally refused to form coalitions with it.
According to the Pew Research Center, “The AfD campaigned Against handing over weapons To Ukraine and called An end to sanctions Regarding Russia,” an opinion shared by Musk.
Far-right parties have also made gains in the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and elsewhere. Many cheered the election of Trump, which Musk helped fund with $277 million in contributions to the campaign and related Republican causes.
Tesla stock has risen about 75% since Trump's victory superior Its previous all-time high since 2021 was last week.
The Alternative for Germany party has It is said He criticized Tesla and its factory outside Berlin. The party claimed that many of the thousands of Tesla workers there commute from Poland or Berlin, limiting the economic benefits to the local community in Brandenburg.
The AfD generally views electric cars as part of an ideological climate movement, which is not in favor of Germany's auto industry.
Europe has been a tough market for Tesla this year. According to data from the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers, Tesla vehicle sales fell 40.9% in November, outpacing the overall 9.5% decline in sales of battery electric vehicles.
Elsewhere in Ljubri, Musk endorsed right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and expressed his support for the UK's Nigel Farage, a populist politician and UK reform leader. In South America, Musk supported and had a friendship with Argentine President Miley, a self-described anarcho-capitalist.
He watches: Musk's early influence on the government
