French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday (January 6) accused billionaire Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X, of meddling in elections, including Germany’s upcoming snap polls.
Ten years ago, who could have imagined it if we had been told that the owner of one of the biggest social networks in the world would support a new international reactionary movement and intervene directly in elections, including in Germany, Macron said in a speech to French ambassadors.
This is not the first time such accusations have been made against the X boss. On Monday, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store expressed concern at billionaire Elon Musk’s recent remarks on the internal affairs of European nations.
“I find it worrying that a man with considerable access to social networks and significant economic resources is so directly involved in the internal affairs of other countries,” Store said.
On Sunday, 5 January, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed all of Musk’s recent statements, including the insults that targeted him, describing him as a “troll.” In speaking to the German magazine Stern, Scholz referred to the case, saying, “Don’t feed the troll.”
“You have to stay cool. As Social Democrats, we have long been used to the fact that there are rich media entrepreneurs who do not appreciate social democratic politics and do not hide their opinions,” Scholz said.
