The world’s richest man and tech mogul Elon Musk has written an op-ed in support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. In response, the newspaper’s opinion editor, Eva Marie Kogel, resigned in protest.
Musk, President-elect Trump’s No. 1 ally who gambled his future on the election of Donald Trump, wrote an op-ed in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, the flagship of the Axel Springer media group, which was published on Saturday. In it, the tech mogul outlined a number of issues that he believes Germany needs to address as it nears an “economic and cultural collapse.”
Tesla’s CEO said he has the “right” to judge the country’s domestic policy, as he has “made significant investments” in Germany’s technology and industrial sector.
Musk’s comment to the German newspaper comes a little more than a week after the SpaceX executive endorsed the far-right party, saying: “Only the AfD can save Germany.” There have been backlash within the US from some current and former congressmen and senators, with some describing the group as a neo-Nazi party.
“Pink washing” was Musk’s first choice
The internationally recognized term “pink washing” refers to attempts to make a person or organization appear democratic, accepting, and inclusive. It is a beautification technique, in which inclusivity is presented as the highest good, hiding in the case of the AfD at least its far-right face and the internal neo-Nazi profile which is artificially hidden in its public image.
Similar attempts at concealment and beautification became apparent in the case of Golden Dawn, where the humanitarian face of the neo-Nazi and judged as a criminal organization was presented, with the “potatoes only for Greeks” in Syntagma or the escort of a grandmother (a member of the Greek Democratic Party) to the ATM to withdraw money, for fear of “delinquent foreigners”.
“The portrayal of the AfD as a far-right extremist party is clearly false, if one considers that Alice Weidel, the leader of the party, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does this sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Musk wrote in his opinion piece, referring to Weidel, the party’s co-chair.
The far right as a crutch for extreme neoliberalism. In the article, Musk argued that Germany’s economy is suffering from excessive regulation and bureaucracy. “The AfD has understood that economic freedom is not just desirable, but necessary. Its approach to reducing government overregulation, cutting taxes, and deregulating the market reflects the principles that made Tesla and SpaceX successful,” Musk wrote, among other things.
“If Germany wants to regain its industrial strength, it needs a party that doesn’t just talk about growth, but also takes political action to create an environment where companies can thrive without heavy government interference,” he added.
Musk also supported the AfD’s proposals on immigration in the article. The party, similar to the incoming Trump administration in the US, has supported deportations from Germany, and in January was caught talking to neo-Nazi groups about mass deportations of even asylum seekers.
The tech entrepreneur also urged Germany to diversify its energy sources, including by utilising nuclear power and increasing battery storage.
Traditional parties have failed in Germany, and Musk advocates untested neo-Nazism as a solution
“Traditional parties have failed in Germany. Their policies have led to economic stagnation, social unrest and the erosion of national identity,” Musk wrote, according to the translation. “The AfD, while labeled far-right, represents a political realism that resonates with many Germans who feel their concerns are being ignored by the establishment.”
In contrast to the resigned Eva Marie Kogel, the newspaper’s top editors, Jan Philipp Burggard and Ulf Possard, told Reuters that “democracy and journalism thrive with freedom of expression. This includes addressing polarizing positions and their journalistic classification,” adding that the dialogue surrounding Musk’s post was “very revealing.”
Beneath Musk’s post, Burghardt wrote a response, saying that the tech mogul’s “diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally flawed.”
Elections in Germany are set for February 23 after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government. The AfD is reportedly in second place in opinion polls.
Nigel Farage also funded by ReformParty
Elon Musk will fund the right-wing British party Reform UK, its leader Nigel Farage said
The politician recently met with Musk at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. According to Farage, they agreed that the billionaire would make the donation “in a reasonable amount” so that it would be legal.
This is not the first time Musk has supported the right in European countries – for example, he recently said that only the Alternative for Germany party can save Germany.
