MADRID — On Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took aim at Elon Musk, joining other European leaders in expressing concerns over the tech mogul’s potential influence on politics across Europe. Sánchez, a prominent figure in the European socialist movement, accused Musk of undermining liberal and progressive values during a public address in Madrid.
Speaking at an event marking the 50th anniversary of the death of Francisco Franco, the Spanish dictator, Sánchez criticized the international far-right movement, which he claimed is “openly attacking our institutions” and promoting hatred. He referred to Musk, whom he implied is leading this movement, by declaring that it is being “led in this case by the richest man on the planet.” Furthermore, he described support for a far-right party in Germany, labeling them as the “inheritors of Nazism.”
Musk, who has made his political stance known through a continuous series of posts on X, the social media platform he owns, has been actively engaging in European political matters since financing Donald Trump’s successful campaign in November. Among his controversial endorsements is the far-right Alternative for Germany party, and he has recently called British Prime Minister Keir Starmer a “tyrant” deserving of imprisonment.
Earlier this week, Musk also made headlines related to Spanish social issues when he reshared a report from a Spanish newspaper, which claimed a rise in sexual offenders who are foreigners in Catalonia, particularly around the Barcelona area. His brief reaction was simply, “Wow.”
Responding to Musk’s comment, Salvador Illa, the regional president of Catalonia and a member of Sánchez’s Socialist party, emphasized the need to resist being influenced by a wealthy tech entrepreneur who aligns with extremist views. He stressed, “We can’t allow ourselves to fall into the hands of a tech multi-millionaire aligned with the far right.”
Moreover, Musk has shown a keen interest in issues surrounding sexual abuse, particularly in England, where he criticized Starmer for failing to bring offenders to justice during his tenure as the country’s director of public prosecutions.
