Germany accuses Elon Musk of trying to sway its upcoming election through support of far-right party

German officials on Monday accused billionaire Elon Musk of trying to influence their upcoming election by publicly voicing his support for the country's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Musk has been vocal about his support for certain parties in recent and upcoming elections, after endorsing President-elect Donald Trump for U.S. president in July, and expressing support for the United Kingdom's Reform UK party earlier this month. 

He also wrote an opinion piece for Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper that was posted over the weekend, which praised AfD as the only party that can "save Germany."

A German government spokesperson told Reuters that Musk is free to share his opinion, but that he was still trying to meddle with the election through his posts on X and his opinion piece.

"It is indeed the case that Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election," the spokesperson said, adding that the billionaire may express his opinion because "after all, freedom of opinion also covers the greatest nonsense."

Musk has defended his right to express his opinion, stating that he had "significant investments" in the country, and found AfD to have the best approach to taxes and regulations. The AfD party is currently polling second, behind main opposition conservatives. 

German politicians have also blasted Musk's input, with Lars Klingbeil, the co-leader of the Social Democrats party, comparing him to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Both want to influence our elections and specifically support the AfD's enemies of democracy," Klingbeil said. "They want Germany to be weakened and plunged into chaos."

Germany's next election is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2025.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.