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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 \u201cpotatoes only for Greeks\u201d in Syntagma or the escort of a grandmother (a member of the Greek Democratic Party) to the ATM to withdraw money, for fear of \u201cdelinquent foreigners\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 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!\u201d Musk wrote in his opinion piece, referring to Weidel, the party\u2019s co-chair.<\/p>\n\n\n
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The far right as a crutch for extreme neoliberalism. In the article, Musk argued that Germany\u2019s economy is suffering from excessive regulation and bureaucracy. \u201cThe 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,\u201d Musk wrote, among other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf Germany wants to regain its industrial strength, it needs a party that doesn\u2019t just talk about growth, but also takes political action to create an environment where companies can thrive without heavy government interference,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Musk also supported the AfD\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tech entrepreneur also urged Germany to diversify its energy sources, including by utilising nuclear power and increasing battery storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditional parties have failed in Germany, and Musk advocates untested neo-Nazism as a solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTraditional parties have failed in Germany. Their policies have led to economic stagnation, social unrest and the erosion of national identity,\u201d Musk wrote, according to the translation. \u201cThe AfD, while labeled far-right, represents a political realism that resonates with many Germans who feel their concerns are being ignored by the establishment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast to the resigned Eva Marie Kogel, the newspaper\u2019s top editors, Jan Philipp Burggard and Ulf Possard, told Reuters that \u201cdemocracy and journalism thrive with freedom of expression. This includes addressing polarizing positions and their journalistic classification,\u201d adding that the dialogue surrounding Musk\u2019s post was \u201cvery revealing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beneath Musk\u2019s post, Burghardt wrote a response, saying that the tech mogul\u2019s \u201cdiagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally flawed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elections in Germany are set for February 23 after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz\u2019s government. The AfD is reportedly in second place in opinion polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n