CDU leader Friedrich Merz didn’t mince words when criticizing Elon Musk’s recent pro-AfD guest essay in Welt am Sonntag. Referring to Musk’s endorsement of the far-right party as “overreaching and presumptuous,” Merz called it an unprecedented example of meddling in another country’s political landscape.
“I can’t recall a similar case of interference in the election campaign of a friendly nation in the history of Western democracies,” Merz told the Funke Mediengruppe. He even suggested that if a German entrepreneur had backed a U.S. outsider candidate in a high-profile publication like The New York Times, the backlash from America would be swift and justified.
Musk’s essay labeled the AfD as “the last spark of hope for this country,” praising its policies on “economic renewal” and “market deregulation.” He also weighed in on immigration and dismissed claims that the AfD is far-right, calling such accusations “clearly wrong.”
The Tesla CEO doubled down on his views via his own platform, where he wrote, “Only the AfD can save Germany.” This sparked a political firestorm in Germany, leading to a heated pro-and-con debate featuring Musk and future Welt editor-in-chief Jan Philipp Burgard.
Merz’s criticism underscores growing tensions around Musk’s controversial endorsement, as Germany braces for its next election.
