At an event with 4,500 people, owner of X calls for voter mobilization for Alternative for Germany; party is investigated for extremism
Billionaire Elon Musk, owner of Tesla and SpaceX, participated via videoconference in a rally by the right-wing AfD (Alternative for Germany) party, this Saturday (25 January 2025), in Halle, Germany. The event brought together around 4,500 supporters.
During his participation, Musk stated: “It’s good to be proud to be German. Fight for a bright future for Germany”. He also classified the AfD as “the best hope for Germany”.
The billionaire encouraged voters to mobilize votes for the party. “Go out there, talk to people… one vote at a time. There is a need for change, it has to happen. This election is so important… the future of civilization may depend on it. When something is so relevant, you have to do everything you can to convince people to vote for the AfD.”.
The early election, scheduled for February 23was called after the current chancellor, Olaf Scholz, lost a vote of confidence in Parliament in December. The election was only supposed to be held in September, but the political crisis moved the electoral calendar forward.
Accusations of condoning Nazism
Musk’s participation in the rally comes amid criticism of a gesture he made during the inauguration of Donald Trump (Republican Party), which was interpreted by many as a Nazi salute. The episode sparked protests in Germany, including the projection of images of the billionaire with the word “Heil” at a Tesla factory in the country.
At the time, Musk placed his hand on his heart and extended his right arm with the open palm facing down and fingers together towards the audience. The gesture, which he claims represented a heart thrown into the audience, was interpreted as Nazi by the press, politicians and non-governmental organizations.
Watch the moment in the speech where Musk makes the gesture (35s):
Alignment with AfD
Musk has shown explicit support for the AfD, which appears with around 20% of voting intentions for February, but faces resistance from other parties due to investigations into “extremism” right-wing movements led by German intelligence.
In addition to participating in the rally, the billionaire held a debate with Alice Weidel, AfD’s main candidate, on his X platform.
