(CLO) American technology billionaire Elon Musk has caused outrage by praising the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, a move seen as an attempt to influence the upcoming German election in February.
On Sunday (December 29), billionaire Elon Musk wrote a commentary in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag in support of the AfD party, following an earlier post on social network X.
Billionaire Elon Musk. Photo: CC/Wcamp9
In an article in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, the world's richest man denied the AfD's far-right tendencies and believed that the party was the "last ray of hope" for Germany.
“The traditional parties have failed in Germany,” the American tech billionaire wrote in an opinion piece published online by the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. “Their policies have led to economic stagnation, social unrest and the erosion of national identity.”
Elon Musk’s post comes as Germany prepares for a tense parliamentary election. After Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition collapsed in November, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier officially dissolved the Bundestag and set a new election date of February 23.
As a result, Elon Musk received a lot of criticism. Many journalists at Welt am Sonntag protested the publication of the article. Eva Marie Kogel, who was the head of the German newspaper's editorial board, even resigned after Elon Musk's commentary was published.
On Monday (December 30), German government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann also accused “Elon Musk of trying to influence the parliamentary elections through his statements.” Ms. Hoffmann emphasized that Mr. Musk “has the right to freely express his opinion, but does not necessarily have to share it.”
According to Ms. Hoffmann, the upcoming German election is a matter for Germany alone and will be decided by German voters through the ballot. At the same time, she also said that from 2021, the German Internal Security Agency has put the AfD party on the list of organizations suspected of right-wing extremism that need special monitoring.
Quang Anh (according to DW, France24, NYT)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ty-phu-musk-bi-to-can-thiep-vao-bau-cu-duc-vi-ca-ngoi-dang-cuc-huu-post328266.html
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