Elon Musk Endorsement of Germany AfD Stirs Political and Journalistic Debate

In a guest piece published in Germany’s Welt am Sonntag, Elon Musk expressed support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. He argued against its classification as a right-wing extremist group, highlighting party leader Alice Weidel’s same-sex partnership with a Sri Lankan woman as evidence. Musk questioned comparisons of the AfD to historical extremism, stating, “Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!”

Despite Musk’s assertions, the AfD has been classified as a suspected extremist organization by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency since 2021. The party’s controversial stances include opposition to the European Union and a preference for closer ties with Russia and China.

Shortly after the piece was published, Eva Marie Kogel, the editor of the opinion section, resigned in protest. She announced her resignation on X (formerly Twitter), linking to the article.
The newspaper’s leadership defended the decision to publish Musk’s piece, citing the importance of free expression in journalism. However, they also published a counterpoint by editor-in-chief designate Jan Philipp Burgard, who criticized Musk’s endorsement of the AfD, calling the party’s policies “fatally false.”

Musk’s support comes ahead of Germany’s national elections on February 23, following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government. The AfD is currently polling second and could disrupt a center-right or center-left majority. However, mainstream parties have pledged to exclude the AfD from coalition talks at the national level.