Elon Musk sparks backlash in Germany after calling the chancellor an 'incompetent fool' and backing the far-right AfD party
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- Elon Musk has sparked backlash in Germany after calling for the chancellor to resign and backing the AfD.
- The German health minister said Musk "should not interfere in our politics."
- It comes as right-wing leaders in Europe seize on an attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany.
Elon Musk has stirred controversy in Germany after calling Chancellor Olaf Scholz an "incompetent fool" and backing the country's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
In a post on X, Musk first reshared a video by right-wing influencer Naomi Seibt in which she criticizes Friedrich Merz, one of the leading candidates to become Germany's next chancellor.
"Only the AfD can save Germany," Musk, who is the richest person in the world, wrote alongside the post.
Musk then weighed in on news of an attack on Friday on a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg that killed at least five people.
Musk reshared a post purportedly showing an image of the suspect that said the attack was a "DIRECT RESULT of mass unchecked immigration."
"Scholz should resign immediately. Incompetent fool," Musk added in a separate post.
Leading right-wing figures across Europe have seized on the incident to promote anti-immigrant rhetoric and call for tighter border controls.
Musk's comments, which come just two months before Germany is set to hold a snap federal election, have sparked backlash in the country.
Scholz appeared to respond indirectly at a press conference in Berlin, saying, "We have freedom of speech here. That also applies to multimillionaires. Freedom of speech also means that you're able to say things that aren't right and do not contain good political advice," per the Guardian.
Karl Lauterbach, the German health minister, said on X that Musk "should not interfere in our politics, adding that "his platform profits from hate and incitement and radicalizes people."
REUTERS/ Fabian Bimmer
The AfD party was established in 2013 as an anti-euro party, but it has since focused more on immigration and has been seen as increasingly far-right.
Musk, however, has previously questioned how far-right the party's policies are.
In a post on X in June, he wrote:"Why is there such a negative reaction from some about AfD?"
"They keep saying "far right", but the policies of AfD that I've read about don't sound extremist. Maybe I'm missing something," he added.
The Tesla CEO has shown growing support for right-wing leaders, including Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Nigel Farage, leader of the UK's Reform Party.
Earlier this week, Farage boasted that Musk was "right behind" him and hinted that the tech mogul might financially back his party.