Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has waded into controversy once more after his surprise appearance at a campaign rally for the far-right German party Alternative für Deutschland. The event in Halle, eastern Germany, attracted 4,500, with Musk addressing participants virtually alongside AfD co-leader Alice Weidel.
In his address, Musk praised the need to preserve German culture and protect the rights of Germans. “It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything,” Musk said, trying to link his opinions with national identity.
This latest controversy comes a week after Musk was also criticized for what appeared to be a Nazi salute at an event in the U.S. He then was lambasted over a joke about the Holocaust, which surfaced after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rose to his defence over the apparent Nazi salute.
During the rally, Musk said, “Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great grandparents,” which many took as a reference to Germany’s Nazi history. He expressed that excessive emphasis on historical guilt is unproductive, urging a need to move past it.
Musk further attacked the present German government, accusing it of suppressing free speech and particularly attacked recent remarks by Chancellor Olaf Scholz against extreme-right views. His comments came days after Scholz said there should be limits to freedom of speech regarding extreme ideologies.
The billionaire concluded his address with support for the AfD, a party he had been supportive of. “I’m very excited for the AfD; I think you’re the best hope for Germany’s fight for a great future,” to which Weidel thanked him for his support.
The close relationship between Musk and Weidel does raise concerns about possible foreign influence in the coming elections. This connection was further brought to the fore in a recent interview between the two on social media platform X.
In stark contrast, thousands of anti-far-right activists marched in a huge protest, where an estimated 100,000 gathered in front of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, with some 20,000 in Cologne. People from every age category participated in demonstrations despite the unforgiving winter with the aid of colorful umbrellas to display their disapproval against the far-rightist agenda.
