Elon Musk’s backing for the AfD is criticized by German lawmakers as “intrusive” electoral interference

German government and opposition lawmakers criticized U.S. billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday for an opinion article he penned endorsing the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), which they described as “intrusive” outside influence.

Musk, who is expected to work as an outside consultant for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, has backed the AfD as Germans prepare to cast their ballots on February 23 following the fall of a coalition government headed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Musk wrote on social media platform X last week that “only the AfD can save Germany” and commended the party’s approach to regulation, taxes, and market deregulation. The commentary, which was published in German in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, the flagship of the Axel Springer media group, built on that post.

The editor of the newspaper’s opinion section announced her resignation on X after his commentary was published.

In an interview with the Funke Media Group, Friedrich Merz, the leader of the opposition Christian Democrats and the front-runner to oust Scholz as chancellor, stated: “I cannot recall a comparable case of interference, in the history of Western democracies, in the election campaign of a friendly country.”

The comments was deemed “intrusive and pretentious” by Merz.

Co-leader of Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), Saskia Esken, pledged adamant opposition to attempts by the wealthy and powerful, as well as governmental actors, to sway Germany’s elections.

“In Elon Musk’s world, democracy and workers’ rights are obstacles to more profit,” Esken stated to Reuters. “We say quite clearly: Our democracy is defensible, and it cannot be bought.”

In defense of the choice to publish the remark, Welt’s editor-in-chief designate stated that freedom of thought, even divisive viewpoints, is essential to democracy and journalism.

A center-left or center-right majority might be thwarted by the AfD, which is now ranked second in opinion surveys. The mainstream, more centrist parties in Germany have vowed to reject any national backing from the AfD.