Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, and head of US government's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has kicked-off a controversy by endorsing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The far-right party is often called a 'neo-Nazi' outfit for its extreme views on immigrants and other areas of German politics. On Sunday (January 26), Musk addressed 4500 supporters of AfD via video link in Halle, Germany.
During his address Musk clearly supported AfD and called it Germany's "best hope".
Germany will hold snap elections on February 23. The elections were necessitated after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost vote of confidence in December last year. This toppled his coalition government.
During his address to AfD supporters in Halle, Musk said "people take pride in Germany and being German" to a huge applause. The gathering was addressed by AfD leader Alice Weidel as well. Weidel is AfD's candidate for the post of chancellor.
Immigration is one of the central issues of elections this time. Musk said That Germany should guard itself from "multiculturalism that dilutes everything".
Backlash Against Musk
Musk's endorsement of AfD has led to strong reactions from German politicians. Lars Klingbeil, leader of Social Democratic Party (SPD), said that Musk was trying to meddle in German elections and equated his actions with that of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) the party of former chancellor Angela Merkel, said that Musk's endorsement of AfD amounted to unprecedented intrusion in the affairs of an allied nation.
Protests against AfD
Musk's statements came as thousands protested near Brandenburg Gate in Berlin over the weekend. The protesters sang anti-fascist songs and denounced AfD. Such protests also took place in other cities including Cologne.
