Elon Musk ignited controversy by endorsing Germany’s far-right party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), in his guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag, prompting the resignation of the newspaper’s opinion editor in protest. The endorsement occurs ahead of an early election on February 23, following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government. Musk claimed in his article that the AfD holds the potential for Germany’s future prosperity, asserting that his investments in the nation give him the right to comment on its issues.
Despite polling well, the AfD’s candidate, Alice Weidel, faces significant barriers to leadership due to other parties’ reluctance to collaborate with them. Musk’s characterisation of the AfD as misrepresented as extremist sparked heated debate in German media about free speech. The opinion editor, Eva Marie Kogel, stated she resigned after the piece was published, while Jan Philipp Burgard, the incoming editor-in-chief, critiqued Musk’s notion that the AfD could save Germany.
In response to the backlash, current and incoming editors noted that discussions surrounding Musk’s article are vital for democracy and journalism, pledging to foster a platform for such debates in the future.