Elon Musk, AfD, Welt am Sonntag,
Elon Musk, the tech entrepreneur and prominent adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump, has made headlines once again, this time in Germany. Musk penned a guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag, a flagship publication of the Axel Springer media group, expressing support for the far-right German political party Alternative for Germany (AfD). The move has stirred significant controversy, leading to the resignation of the opinion editor in protest.
Musk Defends AfD in Opinion Piece
Musk’s commentary, published online on Saturday and featured in the Sunday edition of Welt am Sonntag, adopts a populist tone. In the article, he challenges the perception of the AfD as an extremist organization, drawing attention to its leader Alice Weidel’s personal life. Musk wrote, “The portrayal of the AfD as rightwing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!”
His argument echoes sentiments shared on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), where he recently declared, “only the AfD can save Germany.”
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, however, has classified the AfD as a suspected case of extremism since 2021.
Editorial Resignation in Protest To Elon Musk Piece
Eva Marie Kogel, the editor of the opinion section at Welt am Sonntag, announced her resignation shortly after Musk’s piece was published online. Using Musk’s platform, she posted on X, “I always enjoyed heading the opinion department at Welt and Wams. Today a text by Elon Musk appeared in Welt am Sonntag. Yesterday I submitted my resignation after printing.”
Her post included a link to Musk’s article, underscoring her disapproval.
In response to the backlash, senior figures at the Welt Group defended the decision to publish Musk’s piece. Jan Philipp Burgard, the incoming editor-in-chief, and Ulf Poschardt, who will become publisher on January 1, stated, “Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression. This includes dealing with polarizing positions and classifying them journalistically.”
They noted that the discussion sparked by Musk’s commentary, which garnered about 340 comments shortly after publication, had been “very revealing.”
Counterarguments Published Alongside Elon Musk Commentary
Alongside Musk’s piece, Welt am Sonntag published a counter-response by Burgard, who criticized Musk’s endorsement of the AfD.
“Musk’s diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally false,” Burgard wrote. He highlighted the AfD’s controversial policies, including its desire to exit the European Union, pursue closer ties with Russia, and adopt a more conciliatory stance toward China.
Musk’s backing of the AfD comes at a critical time for Germany. The country is set to hold elections on February 23, following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government earlier this fall.
The AfD currently ranks second in opinion polls, positioning it as a potential disruptor to either a center-right or center-left majority. Despite this, Germany’s mainstream parties have collectively vowed to exclude the AfD from any national-level cooperation.
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