Elon Musk goes after European leaders: Will they push back? | DW News Desk

Musk’s incendiary interventions are a growing concern for governments in Europe. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that he is staying “cool” despite critical personal comments made by Musk but expressed concern about the U.S. billionaire’s involvement in Germany’s election by endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday condemned the “lies and misinformation” that he said are undermining U.K. democracy in response to a barrage of attacks on his government from Elon Musk.

Recently, Musk has posted about a child sexual abuse case, particularly a series of incidents in northern England towns where groups of men, largely from Pakistani backgrounds, were tried for grooming and abusing dozens of girls. These cases have been used by far-right activists to link child abuse to immigration and accuse politicians of covering up the “grooming gangs” out of fear of appearing racist.

Musk has called for a new public inquiry into cases of child abuse in northern Britain, accusing Starmer of failing to bring perpetrators to justice when he served as England’s director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013. Starmer defended his record, stating that he had reopened closed cases and “changed the whole prosecution approach” to child sexual exploitation.

Elon Musk has also advocated for the release of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a far-right activist known as Tommy Robinson, who is currently serving a prison sentence for contempt of court. Starmer criticized this, saying, “People cheerleading Tommy Robinson are trying to get some vicarious thrill from the street violence that figures like Tommy Robinson promote.”

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron framed Musk’s influence as a challenge to Europe’s democratic values, emphasizing the need for European unity and resilience against external disruptions.

Without naming Musk directly, Macron referred to his alleged support for Germany’s far-right AfD party and his increasing interference in European elections. “Who could have imagined, 10 years ago, that the owner of one of the world’s largest social networks would intervene directly in elections, including in Germany?” Macron said. He warned of the risks posed by unchecked power in the hands of tech billionaires and the destabilizing impact they could have on democratic institutions.

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