Breton warns AfD over Musk's election influence ahead of interview
Former European Commissioner Thierry Breton emphasized the need to respect EU laws on systemic platforms during elections. In a statement Saturday on X, Breton addressed Alice Weidel, the chancellor candidate for Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, cautioning that her planned live discussion with Elon Musk on January 9 could provide her an unfair advantage in the campaign.
The remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of Musk's support for the AfD, which has drawn criticism from the German government ahead of the February 23 snap election.
In an earlier interview with Stern, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addressed Musk's comments, including his description of Scholz as an "incompetent fool." Scholz called for calm, stating that Germany remains a "strong and stable democracy" and dismissed the remarks as irrelevant to the country's democratic decision-making. He underscored that the election will reflect the will of the German people, not "the erratic comments of an American billionaire."