Around thirty MEPs today expressed their “deep concern” about his “interference” and “smear campaigns” in Europe, urging the European Commission to take action.
“Elon Musk is not just a foreign billionaire, he is a future member of the Trump administration who is attacking their best allies,” warn these lawmakers, who come from almost the entire political spectrum, right, left, environmentalists and center.
In their letter to the Commission president, the MEPs refer mainly to the case of the “German election campaign”, where the South African-born businessman openly supports the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
“The European Commission should consider whether Musk’s recent smear campaigns are consistent with the Digital Services Act,” they add, referring to the European regulation on digital services (Digital Service Act).
“Where is the European Commission and what does it intend to do now that it has found that Platform X does not comply with the Digital Services Act?” they ask in their letter signed by, among others, Nathalie Loiseau, Maria Walsh and Oror Lalique.
The European Commission supervises digital platforms based on this regulation. Musk’s close working relationship with Donald Trump, who will be sworn in as US president on Monday, raises questions about how the Commission will handle the issue of Platform X, which is accused of spreading misinformation.
However, an MEP from Slovenia has called for Musk to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, calling him a “hero of freedom of expression”.
On Tuesday, a debate is scheduled to take place in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the accusations of Elon Musk’s interventions in European affairs.
Source: RES/MPE
