Lars Klingbeil, co-leader of Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), informed the Funke media group that Musk “is making an attempt the identical factor as Vladimir Putin”, the Russian president.
“They each need to affect our elections and assist the AfD, which is hostile to democracy,” he stated, accusing each Musk and Putin of “wanting Germany to be weakened and pushed into chaos”.
Klingbeil stated extra motion was wanted on the European degree to limit the political energy of massive social media platforms corresponding to X.
Musk has repeatedly used X to assault Scholz personally, most just lately within the wake of a lethal car-ramming assault on a Christmas market within the japanese metropolis of Magdeburg on December 20.
The tech billionaire referred to as Scholz an “incompetent idiot” and stated he “ought to resign instantly”.
ELECTION CAMPAIGN MEDDLING
Musk’s interventions in German politics have additionally been criticised by Scholz’s most important rival, Friedrich Merz, the chief of the conservative opposition CDU/CSU.
Merz labelled Musk’s AfD endorsement “interfering and presumptuous” and stated he couldn’t keep in mind “a comparable case of meddling within the election marketing campaign of an allied nation within the historical past of Western democracy”.
The AfD is in second place within the newest polls at 19 per cent, behind the CDU/CSU opposition at 32 per cent.
The SPD is headed for its worst-ever end result at 16 per cent whereas its Inexperienced coalition companions are polling at 13 per cent.