BERLIN — Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday rejected Elon Musk’s claim that only a far-right party can “save Germany,” while maintaining that freedom of expression applies to everyone, including billionaires. Scholz’s comments came in response to Musk’s statement made on his social media platform X, which drew notable attention.
In the wake of Scholz’s three-party governing coalition falling apart last month due to disagreements over strategies to rejuvenate Germany’s struggling economy, the country is poised to hold early elections on February 23. Scholz, who is vying for a second term, faces significant challenges as opinion polls indicate that the center-right Union bloc is currently leading, while his own center-left Social Democrats trail substantially behind.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is also showing strong polling numbers. Nonetheless, Alice Weidel, the AfD’s candidate for Chancellor, has little prospect of securing the position, primarily because other political parties refuse to collaborate with her party.
In a recent post on X, Musk stated, “Only the AfD can save Germany.” In response, Weidel expressed her gratitude in a video posted on the platform, aligning herself with Musk’s sentiment and describing her party as the sole alternative for the nation and “our last option, if you ask me.”
During a press conference held alongside his Estonian counterpart, Scholz addressed Musk’s remark by asserting, “We have freedom of opinion — it also goes for multibillionaires, but freedom of opinion also means that you can say things that aren’t right and don’t contain good political advice.” He emphatically noted that all democratic parties in Germany hold a differing perspective.
Earlier Friday, inquiries were made regarding the potential implications of Musk’s statement on the German government’s engagement with X. Government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann pointed out that while the administration has expressed concerns about the platform’s trajectory since Musk took control, it has consistently determined that maintaining a presence is essential for communicating with and informing the public. According to her, the disadvantages of not being represented on influential social media channels outweigh the negatives.
In a separate development, Scholz faced a confidence vote earlier in the week, resulting in the authority to decide whether parliament will be dissolved and early elections conducted being transferred to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. His office announced on Friday that a decision would be made public on December 27.
