The right-wing party has recorded its best-ever result in Germany’s parliamentary elections, preliminary results show
Elon Musk reaffirmed his support for the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of the parliamentary elections in the country at the weekend. Primary estimates show that the anti-immigration party is outpacing the Social Democrats (SPD) headed by outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The Tesla and Space X CEO has repeatedly voiced his support for the AfD, which has called for Germany to abandon the euro and halt climate action.
“AfD!” Musk posted on X on Saturday, a day before the German general election, pinning the phrase alongside German flag emojis.
The billionaire also reposted a tweet by another user reading: “Here’s to AfD having a historic showing in tomorrow’s elections in Germany!! Let’s make the West great again.”
The AfD has faced controversy over comments made by current and former members regarding Germany’s past under Adolf Hitler. The party’s leaders have denied that the AfD could be described as Nazi.
In January, Musk appeared via video link at an AfD rally, urging Germans to be proud of their culture and values, and reject the notion of historical guilt for the Second World War and the Holocaust. Modern Germany has embraced the concept of generational guilt, while some politicians have insisted that any displays of national pride amount to flirtation with Nazism.
Last month, Musk hosted a livestream with AfD co-leader and candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, on his X platform. In December, the US-based businessman reaffirmed his support for the party in an op-ed for the newspaper Die Welt.
The backing has drawn harsh criticism from German politicians and public figures. Scholz has called the billionaire’s comments “disgusting,” while Dani Dayan, the chairman of Israel’s Holocaust museum, has accused Musk of insulting the victims of Nazism and undermining democracy.
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On Sunday, Germans took to ballot stations to elect the new government after Scholz’s coalition collapsed due to disagreements over economic reforms, climate policy, and Ukraine aid.
According to preliminary results, the AfD surged into second place with slightly over 20%, which is the party’s strongest result to date at the federal level. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) are projected to receive 28.5% of the vote. The share of Scholz’ SPD dropped to 16.4%, putting the party in third place.
