Topline
Tech billionaire Elon Musk endorsed Alternative for Germany on Friday, saying the far-right German political party is the only one capable of saving Germany ahead of the country’s election in February and marking Musk’s latest show of support for right-wing politics this week.
Key Facts
Musk said in a tweet, “Only the AfD can save Germany,” praising the political party known for its anti-immigration, anti-Islam and nationalist policy stances.
Musk’s endorsement garnered at least 30 million views and more than 100,000 likes.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters Friday that Germany’s freedom of speech “applies to multi-bilionaires” before he dug at Musk, saying, “freedom of speech also means that you can say things that are not right and do not contain good political advice.”
Musk’s post comes just two months before the German federal election, which was rescheduled to come earlier in 2025 after Scholz recently lost a confidence vote and the country’s governing coalition fell.
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What Is The Afd?
Founded in 2013, Alternative for Germany capitalized on Europe’s 2015 refugee crisis and its country’s economic struggles, pushing for nationalist and anti-immigration policies and a stance against Islam. The party has been monitored by Germany’s intelligence agency for suspected extremism and said last month it would expel three members from its ranks after they were accused of being involved with an extremist group alleged to have planned an armed revolt against the German government. Despite its rocky reputation, Alternative for Germany has managed to gain some popularity, as it recently became the first far-right party to win a German state election since the Nazi era.
Big Number
19%. That is the percentage of German residents who view Alternative for Germany favorably, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center, which noted the figure is the highest favorability it has recorded in eight years of surveying the topic. However, a large majority of Germans (79%) view the party negatively, according to the think tank.
Key Background
Musk has spent much of the week opining on U.S. politics, flexing his political influence as one of President-elect Donald Trump’s closest backers and advisors. The tech billionaire, who does not have a formal position in Trump’s administration, posted a lengthy series of tweets shooting down a proposed government funding bill presented early this week that was pushed forward by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to avoid a looming government shutdown. Musk said the bill, which eventually wilted after scrutiny from him and Trump, should not pass and called it “one of the worst bills ever written.” Democratic lawmakers including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Va., blasted Musk over his comments, with Sanders tweeting, “Billionaires must not be allowed to run our government.”
Further Reading
House Rejects Funding Bill As Shutdown Nears—And Trump Says It’s Biden’s Problem (Forbes)
