The European Union seems to be pulling out all the stops in its campaign to oversee Elon Musk’s much-anticipated conversation with Alice Weidel, the co-chair of Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Scheduled for today, the interview has sparked outrage among EU officials, with reports indicating that 150 bureaucrats will be closely monitoring the event to ensure compliance with EU rules. Meanwhile, French politicians are already suggesting the possibility of an EU-wide ban on Musk’s platform, X.
Critics claim Musk’s team might manipulate the algorithm to give the interview undue prominence. However, with Musk boasting over 200 million followers and nearly all his posts garnering massive attention, the event’s visibility seems inevitable. Widely advertised and hosted by one of the most followed figures on the platform, it’s hardly surprising the interview is expected to draw significant viewership.
Weidel didn’t hold back in calling out the EU’s heavy-handed approach. “Big Brother is watching you: 150 EU officials are supposed to monitor my conversation with @elonmusk,” she wrote on X. “An EU that uses its bureaucracy to exercise censorship on social media is instilling the spirit of unfreedom. The #dsa threatens democracy!”
The officials monitoring the event wield substantial power under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Their focus will be on how X’s algorithm functions and whether it unfairly amplifies content. According to Politico, past accusations allege Musk prioritized certain posts, such as a Super Bowl tweet, over others, supposedly because a Biden tweet gained more traction. Experts from the European Center for Algorithmic Transparency in Seville are also involved, though findings won’t be disclosed immediately and will likely feed into broader proceedings against X.
The growing panic seems to stem from the EU establishment’s fear of losing control as public sentiment shifts. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has openly supported strong measures against what he calls “political influence,” even floating the idea of an outright ban on X, akin to Brazil’s approach. Similarly, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused Musk of promoting “hate” and warned of the so-called rise of fascism in Europe. German SPD General-Secretary Matthias Miersch joined the chorus, declaring Musk’s involvement in Germany’s election discourse as a threat to democratic foundations.
However, many observers question the basis of these claims. Musk interfering with algorithms to favor Weidel appears unnecessary, given the organic attention the interview is likely to receive. Ironically, the EU’s former darling, Twitter, frequently suppressed dissenting voices and critical opinions under its previous leadership—practices that Musk has dismantled. Now, the same officials decry free dialogue on X, exposing their thinly veiled preference for censorship when it suits their agenda.
In a more level-headed response, Klaus Müller, head of Germany’s Federal Network Agency, urged calm. “Not everything that you get upset about is also illegal,” he remarked during a Deutschlandfunk interview. He reminded critics that election campaigns often involve discourse that may seem inappropriate or even offensive but fall within the bounds of free expression. Müller added that those uninterested in the conversation could simply choose not to watch it.
Ultimately, the EU’s fixation on Musk and Weidel speaks volumes about its discomfort with free and open dialogue. The suggestion of banning X entirely underscores the lengths to which some leaders are willing to go to stifle voices they dislike. In a landscape where censorship seems to have become the favored tool of the powerful, Musk’s commitment to unfiltered expression has proven a lightning rod for controversy—and a beacon for those who value freedom of speech.
