Elon Musk’s Video Speech. AFP/Yonhap News
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, who is supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the upcoming German general election next month, claimed in a video speech at an AfD campaign rally on the 25th (local time) that Germans are trapped in historical guilt and that the German government suppresses freedom of expression.
Speaking to AfD supporters gathered in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Musk said, “The upcoming German election is incredibly important. It could determine the fate of Europe, perhaps even the world,” and emphasized, “It is important to persuade your friends and family to vote for the AfD.”
He added, “It’s good to have pride as Germans. This is a very important principle in what dilutes everything into a kind of multiculturalism,” and stated, “As you all know, there seems to be an over-fixation on past guilt. It’s necessary to move beyond that.”
Musk criticized, “For true democracy, informed voting is necessary. However, what the current government is doing is not aligned with that,” and accused, “Expression is suppressed, and people are being jailed for mild criticism of politicians or social media posts. It’s crazy and, frankly, a totalitarian approach.”
Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD, responded by echoing the slogan of former US President Donald Trump, saying, “Make Germany great again.”
Despite the controversy over supporting far-right stances and political involvement, multiple organizations and institutions across European countries are boycotting what was formerly Twitter (now X), and the European Union (EU) is pressuring under the Digital Services Act, but Musk remains undeterred. He argued that “EU bureaucracy is too severe and global elites control too much,” and that European countries should have more decision-making power on their own.
While Musk has occasionally expressed support for the AfD, since the election of President Trump and the collapse of the German coalition government last November, he has been more actively involved in German politics.
Last month, he published a lengthy essay in the German weekly Welt am Sonntag claiming that “Only the AfD can save Germany.” This month, he held a live discussion with Weidel on X and live-streamed the AfD conference, which nominated her as a candidate for chancellor, on his X account.