French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Elon Musk of interfering in European elections, criticizing the tech billionaire’s influence on the continent’s political landscape.
Speaking during a foreign policy address in Paris, Macron refrained from directly naming Musk but alluded to him while expressing concerns over alleged support for Germany’s far-right AfD party. “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 remarked, as reported by the Associated Press.
The French President also accused Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), of promoting a “new reactionary international” movement. He warned against the risks of concentrating unchecked power in the hands of a few wealthy individuals, emphasizing the destabilizing effects this could have on democratic systems. Macron urged Europe to strengthen its defenses against external threats to its democratic values and unity.
Macron’s comments come amid growing unease in Europe about Musk’s influence. In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government has voiced similar concerns. A government spokesperson told Deutsche Welle, “The sensible, decent people are far in the majority in this country. We act as if Musk’s statements… could influence a country of 84 million people with untruths or half-truths. This is simply not the case.”
In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer also addressed Musk’s influence indirectly. During a press conference on child sexual abuse cases, Starmer dismissed accusations Musk had made about his time as a prosecutor, calling them “self-serving lies.” Starmer criticized those spreading misinformation, stating, “They are not interested in victims but in themselves,” according to Sky News.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store echoed these concerns, telling public broadcaster NRK that Musk’s involvement in other countries’ internal affairs is troubling. “It is worrying that a man with such vast social media access and economic resources engages so directly in political matters abroad,” he said, as reported by Reuters.
