Elon Musk approves German far-right party as elections approach

Billionaire Elon Musk, who is going to join the administration of newly elected US President Donald Trump, on Friday launched the election campaign in Germany and described the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as the savior of the country.

The AfD is running in second place in opinion polls and may be able to thwart a centre-right or centre-left majority, but Germany’s mainstream, more centrist parties have vowed to cut off support from the AfD at the national level.

Europe’s leading power is expected to vote on Feb. 23 following the collapse of the center-left coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X.

Musk, the world’s richest man, has already expressed support for other anti-immigration parties across Europe.

The German government said it had noted Musk’s post but declined to provide any further comment at its regular news conference.

Musk reposted a message from German right-wing influential Naomi Seibt criticizing the conservatives’ chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, who is comfortably ahead in surveys.

Musk had already expressed support for the AfD last year, when he attacked the German government’s handling of illegal migration.

Last month, Musk called for the dismissal of Italian judges who questioned the legality of government measures to curb irregular immigration.

And this week Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s right-wing Reform UK party and a friend of Trump, posted a photo of himself and Reform’s treasurer meeting Musk at Trump’s Florida home and said he would like to talk to Musk about financial support. Are conversing.