Tuesday21 January 2025
smiua.net

The fourth European head of state publicly condemned Elon Musk's interference in the politics of EU countries.

Stjore emphasized the need to establish a unified and coordinated response to such interference.
Четвертый европейский лидер публично осудил вмешательство Илона Маска в политику стран Евросоюза.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has expressed concern over American billionaire Elon Musk's interference in democratic processes and the internal affairs of other countries.

In an interview with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) on Monday, Støre remarked: “I am worried that a person with significant access to social media and substantial financial resources is directly interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. This is not how relations should be established between democratic nations and their allies.”

Støre made this statement during the political program Politisk kvarter in response to questions regarding Musk's concerns about potential interference in Norway's parliamentary elections scheduled for September.

Concerns have been raised due to Musk's recent comments about countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy.

Støre emphasized the need for a unified and coordinated response to such interference.

“If we were to see this in Norway, I hope and assume that the entire Norwegian political spectrum would warn against it and distance itself from such actions,” he stated.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday criticized Elon Musk during a meeting with ambassadors at the Élysée Palace.

“Who would have believed it if ten years ago we were told that the owner of one of the largest social networks would support a new reactionary international and directly interfere in elections, for example in Germany,” Macron declared.

Musk has previously supported the far-right German party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). He has repeatedly voiced his support for German ultraright figures on his X account, and at the end of December published in Welt am Sonntag a controversial column in which he called the AfD "the last hope" for Germany.

In December, following a terror attack in Magdeburg, Musk labeled Chancellor Olaf Scholz a “incompetent fool” and stated he should resign immediately.

Scholz has ignored Musk's personal attacks. However, on Saturday at a press conference, he stated that Musk supports right-wing extremist forces not only in Germany, which is categorically unacceptable.

“What is new is the fact that this is a global media entrepreneur. It is also new that it is unclear how public opinion is shaped through algorithms,” Scholz said.

Politicians in the UK are also worried about Musk's behavior. On Monday, the owner of X published a poll asking whether “America should free the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.”

In just the past week, Musk called for the imprisonment of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the release of far-right activist Tommy Robinson from prison, and the replacement of Trump ally Nigel Farage as leader of the Reform UK party, Bloomberg reports.

Following this, senior officials from the three largest parties in the UK privately urged Trump allies to reassess his relationship with Musk, the agency writes.

Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch, leader of the British opposition Conservative Party, describes herself as a “big fan” of Musk, claiming that he makes a “fantastic” contribution to free speech.

Musk has promised to make a significant donation to the right-wing Reform UK, which has only five members in the 650-seat UK Parliament and is led by Nigel Farage.

On Friday, speaking to party members, Farage called Musk a “hero,” but 48 hours later, Musk wrote on X that Farage “does not have what it takes” and that the party needs a new leader.