Two months after the election in the country, the billionaire said that the right-wing party is the only one that can “save Germany”
Elon Musk, founder of , da and owner of the social network (formerly Twitter), expressed his support for the AfD party (Alternative for Germanyor Alternative for Germany), a party on the German right. “Only the AfD can save Germany”, published this Friday (Dec 20, 2024) on his profile on X.
The comment was in response to a video by right-wing YouTuber Naomi Seibt in which she criticizes the actions of Friedrich Merz – center-right candidate for Chancellor of Germany – stating that he intends to form a coalition with the Green Party. For her, this would mean a “national economic-socialist suicide” for the country.
Only the AfD can save Germany
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk)
Musk’s support was celebrated by the party on its official profile on X. “Elon Musk would choose the AfD! And you?”, urging voters to vote for his chancellor candidate, Alice Weidel.
AFD
The Alternative for Germany was created in 2013 in response to the euro crisis and EU bailout policies. Initially, it was a liberal and eurosceptic acronym, that is, against Germany’s integration with the European Union.
From 2015 onwards, he began to focus on the migration issue after the refugee crisis that same year, when Germany arrived from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The number of refugees also increased in Germany in 2022 and 2023 because of the war in Ukraine. About 1.1 million Ukrainians in the European country.
The Alternative for Germany considers the arrival of foreigners a threat to the preservation of German identity and nationalism. In order to combat the increase in immigration, the party adopts a position seen as xenophobic and anti-Muslim.
In 2016, for example, the party saying that Islam was not welcome in Germany because it was not compatible with the Constitution. He also called for a ban on minarets (mosque towers) and the burqa (a female garment that covers the body from head to toe).
The AfD entered the Bundestag for the first time in 2017. Today, it holds 77 of the 733 seats in the German Legislature, being the 5th largest bench.
Since its creation, the party has gained more supporters, mainly in the eastern regions of the country, where socialist East Germany was previously located.
known as BfV (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz) or Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, on suspicion of extremism and risk to democracy since 2021.
In addition to the government’s suspicion, the party is also feared by Germans. On May 22, the German platform released a survey showing Germans’ opinion about the AfD. 1,247 people over 18 years of age participated in the survey. Among them, 73% stated that the acronym is a threat to Germany’s democracy. Another 25% don’t think so. In another survey, published on February 23, 77% of 1,294 respondents said that extremist ideas are widespread in the party.
MUSK SUPPORTS THE RIGHT
This is not the first time that Musk has shown support for right-wing candidates in national elections.
During the US elections in November, . Right at the beginning of the electoral campaign, (R$ 250.36 million) for the Republican campaign.
After winning the elections, the US president-elect announced (United States Office of Government Efficiency), aimed at reducing government bureaucracy and costs.
