German Chancellor Blasts Musk In New Year’s Address

Politico Europe reports:

Chancellor Olaf Scholz hit back at tech billionaire Elon Musk for attempting to influence the outcome of Germany’s snap election on Feb. 23 by endorsing the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

“You, the citizens, decide what happens in Germany,” Scholz said in a New Year’s address to be broadcast Tuesday, according to a text circulated in advance. “It’s not up to the owners of social media.”

While Scholz did not mention Musk by name, it was clear that he was referring to the X owner. Over the weekend, Musk doubled down on his support for the AfD in an opinion piece in German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

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In his New Year’s address, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took a swipe at Elon Musk – without referring to him by name.
After Musk called for an AfD victory in Germany’s upcoming elections, Scholz said it’s up to German citizens to decide – not “owners of social media channels.” pic.twitter.com/it8XaABrmK

— DW Politics (@dw_politics) December 31, 2024