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European Leaders Respond to Elon Musk’s Growing Political Influence in the United States

January 9, 2025 TruthUSA

Elon Musk, after supporting Trump’s successful bid to return to the White House in 2024, has now become involved in political discussions across Europe.

European leaders are responding to the increasing involvement of billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk in political debates in Europe.

Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, has significantly expanded his political influence in recent years. Since acquiring Twitter in 2022 and rebranding it as X, he has gained a powerful platform and has welcomed many marginalized voices back onto the social media platform.

After supporting President-elect Donald Trump’s successful 2024 campaign, Musk has started to test his influence in Europe.

Immediately after the U.S. elections, Musk demanded the removal of Italian judges who opposed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s plan to deter illegal immigrant arrivals by detaining them in Albania. Shortly thereafter, Musk criticized the way responsibilities are divided between the European Parliament and the European Commission, as well as the process for electing the commission.

Musk’s involvement in European political issues has become more frequent and contentious in recent weeks.

He has increasingly shown support for the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. In an op-ed for the German Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Dec. 28, 2024, Musk described the AfD as “the last spark of hope” for Germany.

The AfD has defended itself against accusations of extremism and recently expelled party members allegedly involved in a militant plot to overthrow the German government.

In his December 28 op-ed, Musk also defended the AfD against claims of extremism.

“Portraying the AfD as far-right is clearly false,” he wrote.

Musk’s support for the AfD has drawn the attention of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and U.S. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. In an interview with Stern, Scholz expressed concern over Musk’s affinity for the party, which he said seeks to improve relations with Russia and poses a threat to transatlantic relations.

“I’m not endorsing a party in the German elections, as it’s not my country and we hope to have good relations with all Germans. But this is an interesting piece,” Vance said in a social media post on Jan. 2, referring to Musk’s op-ed supporting the AfD.

Moving beyond Germany, Musk has also commented on the issues in the UK regarding Pakistani gangs engaging in sexual assault and grooming of children. Musk has repeatedly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for his failure to address the issue during his time as a director of public prosecutions.

During a press conference on Jan. 6, Starmer defended his record as a prosecutor and pledged to continue supporting victims of child sexual abuse. He welcomed discussions on the matter but emphasized that he would not tolerate discussions based on falsehoods.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer takes questions from the media during a visit to the Elective Orthopaedic Centre at Epsom Hospital in Epsom, England, on Jan. 6, 2025. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) — British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer takes questions from the media during a visit to the Elective Orthopaedic Centre at Epsom Hospital in Epsom, England, on Jan. 6, 2025. Leon Neal/Getty Images

An Outside Influence

Nigel Farage, a UK parliament member and leader of the right-wing populist Reform UK Party, mentioned last month that he had discussed receiving a donation from Musk.

The UK has strict regulations on campaign donations, restricting contributions to British voters or companies registered in the country. As X has a UK office, this could provide a way for Musk to support Farage’s party.

Starmer’s spokesman Dave Pares has stated that the UK Labour Party is working to strengthen existing safeguards against “impermissible proxy donations.”

Other European leaders have also started expressing concerns about foreign political influence.

“Who could have imagined, 10 years ago, that the owner of one of the world’s largest social networks would directly intervene in elections, including in Germany?” French President Emmanuel Macron remarked on Jan. 6.

On the same day, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre advocated for confining Musk’s political influence to the United States.

“I find it troubling that a person with extensive access to social media and significant financial resources is directly involved in the internal affairs of other countries,” Støre told the Norwegian state-owned broadcaster NRK.

“This is not how things should be between democracies and allies,” he added.

Støre is currently heading a minority coalition government with an uncertain future. He received calls for his resignation and has expressed frustration with poor polling ahead of the September Norwegian elections.

Macron and Scholz are also facing challenges.

Last month, the French Parliament ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a vote of no confidence, ending his tenure after just three months. Macron has since admitted that his decision to hold snap elections in June 2024 seems to have backfired.

French President Emmanuel Macron (C) poses with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024. (Aurelien Morissard/AP Photo) — French President Emmanuel Macron (C) poses with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024. Aurelien Morissard/AP Photo

Jacob Reynolds, the head of policy at the European political think tank MCC Brussels, noted that leaders like Scholz, Macron, and Støre are among the most vocal opponents of Musk’s recent involvement in European politics.

“They realize that the narratives they’ve used to justify themselves for the past decade or more have been seriously challenged. Across European countries, voters are rejecting those traditional ways of doing things and establishment politics,” Reynolds mentioned in an interview with The Epoch Times.

While there are differences between the political debates in the U.S. and Europe, Reynolds suggested that Europeans should not disregard Musk simply because he comes from outside. He pointed out that concerns about immigration, environmental policies, and economic stagnation are prevalent on both sides of the Atlantic.

“That’s why populism in the Western world shares many common characteristics. So it’s not surprising that if you were part of the populist revolution in America, you might look to Europe and think, ‘Hey, we have some common ground with these people,'” he explained.

European leaders who oppose Musk’s influence may need to be cautious about offending a key ally of Trump as the president-elect prepares to return to the White House. Reynolds mentioned that these European leaders can criticize Musk to some extent but might be wondering, “How do we do this without damaging our relationship with the future Trump administration?”

An Uneasy Partnership

While conservative and populist movements across Europe may appreciate Musk highlighting their message, forming a partnership may not be straightforward.

Although Musk had a relatively positive relationship with Farage in recent weeks, their interaction soured when Musk took to X on Jan. 5 to assert, “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”

Farage suggested that the rift stemmed from a disagreement about Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a British social media influencer and political activist known as Tommy Robinson.