Musk, a close adviser to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, argued that his “significant investments” in Germany give him the right to speak out about Europe’s largest economy.
“The traditional parties have failed in Germany,” Musk wrote. “The AfD, even though it is described as far-right, represents a political realism that resonates with many Germans who feel their concerns are ignored by the establishment,” he said.
“Portraying the AfD as far-right 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? Come on!” Musk said in the piece.
Musk’s endorsement of the far-right party has triggered a backlash in the run-up to snap elections in Germany set for Feb. 23, which are projected to be won by a conservative alliance, with Friedrich Merz likely to become the next chancellor, succeeding Olaf Scholz.
Shortly after Musk’s commentary was posted online on Saturday, Welt’s opinion editor, Eva Marie Kogel, wrote on X that she had submitted her resignation, with a link to the piece.
“Today an article by Elon Musk appeared in Welt am Sonntag,” Kogel wrote in her post. “I handed in my resignation yesterday after it went to print.”
