U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, set to join President-elect Donald Trump’s administration as an outside adviser, waded into Germany’s election campaign on Friday, calling the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, the country’s savior.
The AfD is running second in opinion polls and might be able to thwart either a center-right or center-left majority, but Germany’s mainstream, more-centrist parties have vowed to shun support from the AfD at a national level.
Europe’s leading power is expected to vote on Feb. 23 after a center-left coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed.
“Only the AfD can save Germany,” Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X.
Musk, the world’s richest person, has already expressed support for other anti-immigration parties across Europe.
The German government said it had taken note of Musk’s post but declined to give any further comment at its regular press conference.
Musk reposted a message by German right-wing influencer Naomi Seibt that criticized Friedrich Merz, chancellor candidate for the conservatives, who are comfortably ahead in surveys.
Matthias Miersch, secretary-general of Scholz’s Social Democrats, told the media outlet t-online that Germany did not need foreign influences or “Trumpism,” adding: “Stay out, Elon.”
Scholz told a press conference: “Freedom of speech also means that you can say things that aren’t right and don’t contain good political advice.”
Musk voiced support for the AfD last year when he attacked the German government’s handling of illegal migration.
Last month, Musk called for the sacking of Italian judges who had questioned the legality of government measures to prevent irregular immigration.
And this week Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s right-wing Reform UK party and friend of Trump, posted a photo of himself and Reform’s treasurer meeting Musk at Trump’s Florida residence, and said he was in talks with Musk about financial support.