ROME โ Despite a fall from political favor in the U.S. capital, Elon Musk maintains a formidable presence on X, the social media platform he acquired in 2022 for $44 billion. With the most followed account, Musk wields significant influence, leveraging it to back hard-right politicians and insurgent figures across Europe. APโs analysis of public data reveals that a mere retweet or reply from Musk can result in a surge of millions of views and tens of thousands of new followers for those he engages with.
This influence hasnโt gone unnoticed, especially among influencers who repeatedly tag Musk in hopes of securing his engagement. This phenomenon also raises alarms in Europe about potential foreign interference, not from traditional adversaries like Russia or China, but from American influences.
Christel Schaldemose, a vice president of the European Parliament focused on electoral interference and digital regulation, voiced these concerns extensively. An Associated Press analysis, embracing over 20,000 posts collected by Bright Data over three years, involved examining interactions Musk had with 11 European figures known for promoting hard-right political or social agendas.
Although this is not representative of all interactions, the study demonstrates Muskโs ability to influence local proponents aligned with his views. Since purchasing X, Muskโs number of followers has more than doubled, exceeding 220 million, positioning his account as a significantly amplified global megaphone.
Muskโs promotional efforts include forging alliances with nationalistic parties and figures determined to halt migration, counter progressive policies, and pursue an absolute vision of free speech. This trend has disturbed the longstanding trans-Atlantic relationship that has persisted between the U.S. and Europe for decades.
Several figures scrutinized entail individuals facing legal allegations in their countries. For instance, Tommy Robinson, a UK anti-immigrant activist, was sentenced to prison for defying a court order, while Bjoern Hoecke, a politician from Germanyโs AfD party, was convicted for using Nazi slogans.
Moreover, the scrutiny extended to individuals like Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germanyโs AfD party; Dutch right-wing influencer Eva Vlaardingerbroek; German activist and climate change skeptic Naomi Seibt; Rubรฉn Pulido and Foro Madrid from Spainโs right-wing Vox party; and Fidias Panayioutou from Cyprus, known for advocating for Muskโs companies.
Collectively, these accounts gained around 5 million followers between Muskโs October 2022 takeover and January of the following year, with most observing triple-digit percentage increases. Some accounts even marked growth explosions exceeding 6,000%. Muskโs interactions also resulted in significant viewership boosts โ accounts recorded two to four times usual views when Musk engaged with their posts, with a few witnessing increases 30-40 times higher.
Established figures, such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, part of the Brothers of Italy party with a neo-fascist past, experience a lesser impact from Muskโs engagement on the platform. However, Muskโs dominance incentivizes others to seek his attention.
Naomi Seibt, a German skeptic of climate change, tagged Musk around 600 times in three years, finally garnering his attention in June when Musk inquired about the controversial standing of AfD in Germany. Consequently, Musk engaged with Seibt over 50 times, leading to a 320,000 follower increase.
The influence extends beyond online spaces, affecting political and financial realms. Alice Weidel saw her audience multiply from 230,000 to 2.2 million on days Musk interacted with her posts. After Musk livestreamed with her, U.S. Senator JD Vance met Weidel in Munich, and her party achieved significant electoral success despite battling a lawsuit accusing them of extremism.
Similarly, Musk supported Italyโs Matteo Salvini, with his interactions multiplying Salviniโs viewership fourfold. Now the vice premier, Salvini pushes for contracts beneficial to Muskโs Starlink and challenges European regulations affecting X.
In Brussels, Fidias Panayioutou, a Cypriot influencer turned parliamentarian, advocates for Muskโs interests. Following years of effort to meet Musk, Panayioutou did so in 2023, capturing the embrace that went viral. In office, he speaks favorably of X, opposing regulatory challenges and crediting Musk for inspiring bold political moves.
Musk endorsed Panayioutou on X, his praise viewed over 11.5 million times, highlighting the real-world implications of Muskโs interactions on his platform.