Elon Musk Surprises at German Far-Right Party Event, Backs AfD in Election Campaign
By Emma-Victoria Farr
FRANKFURT – Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk made a surprise appearance at a campaign event for Germany’s far-right Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) party in Halle, eastern Germany, on Saturday. Addressing a crowd of 4,500 people alongside AfD leader Alice Weidel, Musk spoke via video link, expressing support for the party’s goals and values.
Musk’s appearance was met with controversy, as he praised the party’s efforts to preserve German culture and protect the German people. He noted the importance of being proud of German values and not losing them in a multicultural society. His comments drew comparisons to the controversy surrounding his gesture during US President Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities.
Musk’s speech also touched on the theme of Germany’s Nazi past, with him saying that “children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents.” He expressed a need to move beyond the focus on past guilt and emphasized the importance of free speech.
Musk has been a vocal critic of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and his comments have previously drawn criticism from Scholz, who sees the AfD as promoting extreme-right views. Weidel, the AfD leader, thanked Musk and encouraged the crowd to vote for the party to make Germany great again, referencing her own party’s role in “Making America Great Again.”
Anti-fascist and anti-AfD protesters marched in cities across Germany, including Berlin and Cologne, on Saturday, with estimated numbers reaching 100,000 in Berlin and 20,000 in Cologne.
