Scholz says Musk support for far-right 'threatens democracy'
January 17, 2025
US tech billionaire Elon Musk is threatening democracy in Europe with his support for the far-right, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Friday.
"He supports the far-right across Europe — in the UK, Germany and many other countries. This is something that is completely unacceptable, that endangers the democratic development of Europe," Scholz said.
What did Scholz say about Musk?
Scholz on Friday said he was not criticising the fact that "a billionaire from another country is speaking his mind in a global world."
However, Musk's "partisanship for the extreme right, whether out of business interests or for reasons that have something to do with his own political stance, that is unacceptable," the chancellor added.
Musk has stirred controversy by insulting Germany's leaders and urging people to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in next month's general election. The move has been condemned across the political spectrum.
Last week, the billionaire's media platform X live streamed a conversation between Musk and AfD leader Alice Weidel. Two days later, Musk shared a stream of the party's convention on his own X feed.
Scholz doesn't expect Trump to cut Ukraine aid
Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, Scholz also said that he does not expect the United States to cut off military aid to Ukraine after President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
The German chancellor said he had spoken to Trump twice since the election, and that there was an "intensive" diplomatic dialogue between the two sides.
"We can therefore hope that good cooperation between Europe and the USA will continue to be successful in the future, including on the issue of support for Ukraine," Scholz said.
"So I don't expect the US to stop supporting Ukraine in its defense," he added.
Trump's return to the White House has raised concerns that the US could cut aid to Ukraine.
dh/rmt (AFP, Reuters)