Elon Musk is boosting Germany's far right. it will be counterproductive

oneAfter spending at least $260 million to help re-elect Donald Trump as U.S. president and receiving a handsome reward for co-leading a new administration, the world's richest man is now setting his sights on Europe.

In the UK, Musk launched a series of attacks on centre-left British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling for him to be jailed for allegedly covering up a “grooming ring”. In Germany, he called Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz a “fool” and the party chairman an “anti-democratic tyrant.” He cast his fate in the Alternative for Germany (AfD) – a party so extreme that it was condemned That's the sentiment raised by Europe's far right ahead of crucial elections on February 23.

Musk, who was born in South Africa, will hold a lengthy live chat with AfD leader Alice Weidel on X on Thursday. Shortly after he published a brisk op-ed in the German press saturday world On December 28, he reiterated his affection for a party that espouses demagogic populism, unabashed anti-Semitism and pro-Russian leanings.

Mainstream German politicians accused Musk's proposal of constituting an “attack on German democracy.” Musk’s only argument against far-right classification so far Information from the AfD branch of Germany's intelligence service is that Wedel is a lesbian with a Sri Lankan partner.

Read more: How Elon Musk became a kingmaker

Musk misunderstood the AfD. The billionaire Tesla founder praised the AfD's economic agenda, but while it preached a neoliberal line, it was moderate and was not a source of votes for it. East Germans, in particular, blamed their post-unification woes on free-market policies. The Alternative for Germany won 30% of the vote in East Germany not because of its economic programs, which were not written in bold at the top of their program, but rather in spite of them.

If Musk had done his homework on German politics, he would have chosen the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) or the Free Democrats. These parties call for lower taxes on businesses and wealthy individuals, the exclusion of unions, reductions in benefits and a relaxation of environmental standards that would hinder market competition. Instead, Musk is backing a horse that four out of five Germans reject.

His choices were already starting to backfire. German NGOs and some companies have left X, and some have called for a boycott of Tesla and X. Tesla's Gigafactory near Berlin – the product of regional Social Democratic involvement rather than the Alternative for Germany – has frequently clashed with German regulators, and now it's set to get more serious. It's unlikely to get a call in its favour. Musk has pissed off exactly the people he needs in the near future. CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who is likely to become the next German chancellor, calls Musk world The column was “bossy and imperious.”

Part of the reason Musk's approach in Europe is doomed to fail The continent's postwar institutions were explicitly designed to withstand gangster attacks and crises of all kinds. The fundamental purpose of the European Union, Europe's premier institution, is to deepen and expand democracy – and therefore to defend it.

When EU member states deviate too far, there are more than twenty other pillars that can stabilize the situation. There is no better example than Hungary, which has held the EU Council Presidency for the past six months and achieved nothing.

While many Europeans are unhappy with economic and other issues, the vast majority respect the prerogatives of democracy and denounce its critics. Europeans overwhelmingly support the European Union, environmental protection and the postwar social market economy. It will not be easily replaced by business models (Musk’s vision) or race-based authoritarian states (the Alternative for Germany).

Musk's embrace of the Alternative for Germany party has sparked a fierce debate over oligarchs in Germany. “Anyone who thinks that this unconvincing view will affect (German) democracy underestimates the power of (Germany's) open society,” Stern magazine said.

Most Europeans want to prevent a dictator like Trump from coming to power, even though Hungary's Viktor Orban has shown it's possible. All democratic parties in Germany have ruled out cooperation with the AfD, maintaining a strict “firewall” between them. In the UK, the Labor government is considering placing legal limits on the amount foreigners can donate through their UK companies. In Romania, a court canceled a presidential election amid allegations it was improperly influenced by Russian funding and disinformation.

Musk’s ultimate goal is to confuse the debate until democracy collapses and the state loses control of the private sector. The best outcome would be to expose his motives publicly.

It would be an exciting start to the new year, with the far right likely to suffer setbacks rather than more victories.