Musk Faces Controversy Over Supporting Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD)
German Government Departments Move to Alternative Platforms Like WhatsApp
This news article is published on Hankyung Global Market, the largest overseas investment information platform in Korea.
A man watches a live broadcast on X (formerly Twitter) of a conversation between Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD), on the 9th (local time). (Photo: EPA)
The German Ministry of Defense has decided to stop using the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), owned by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. This decision comes amid accusations that Musk is interfering in domestic politics ahead of the German general elections.
On the 15th (local time), the German Ministry of Defense announced via a press release that “it is becoming increasingly difficult to exchange objective opinions on X” and stated that not only the Ministry but also its subsidiary agencies, including the Federal Armed Forces, will cease posting on X. Instead, they plan to share updates via WhatsApp channels.
The German Foreign Ministry also revealed plans to more actively use alternative platforms like Bluesky instead of X. According to the local media outlet Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Environmental Ministry has already stopped using its X account, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is considering withdrawing.
It appears that this is in response to Musk’s public support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Last month, Musk published a commentary in support of AfD in a German weekly magazine, and on the 9th, he conducted a dialogue on X with Alice Weidel, co-leader of AfD, urging people to vote for the party.
According to a poll released on the 11th, AfD’s support reached its highest level in a year, about a month before the anticipated early general election.