American tech billionaire Elon Musk made a surprise address at the campaign launch for Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as thousands of people gathered across the country to protest the rise of the far-right party.
Musk, who spoke to the crowd in a live video, was met with huge cheers by the roughly 4,500 AfD supporters gathered inside a hall in the eastern German city of Halle on Saturday.
While speaking with party leader Alice Weidel, AfD’s candidate for chancellor, Musk reiterated his belief that AfD is Germany’s “best hope” in the upcoming general election on February 23.
Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is heading to snap elections in February after Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a vote of confidence and his governing coalition collapsed after months of instability.
AfD has seen an upswell in support, recently becoming the first far-right party to win a state election in Germany since the Nazi era and performing well in opinion polls for the upcoming election. At the same time, the party has been criticized for its staunch anti-immigrant stance. All of Germany’s mainstream political parties have said they will not work with the AfD.
Musk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, stressed the importance “that people take pride in Germany and being German,” a sentiment that was met with rapturous cheers at the AfD rally.
The billionaire also addressed the issue of immigration — a key issue in the election — urging Wiedel and her supporters not to lose their national pride in “some kind of multiculturalism that dilutes everything.”
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Germans protested in Berlin and other cities on Saturday against the far-right party.
In the western German city of Cologne, police estimated a crowd of 40,000 people were demonstrating, according to the Associated Press. About 35,000 protestors gathered at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, according to police estimates, where they sang anti-fascist songs, carried banners denouncing AfD, and displayed illuminated letters spelling “hope and resistance,” AP reported.
“Those who fuel racism and attack climate protection are not just campaigning, they are endangering lives,” climate activist Luisa Neubauer told the crowd reported AP.
Musk has become increasingly engaged in the European political landscape. In recent weeks, he has kindled an alliance with AfD party leader Wiedel. Earlier in January, the two discussed Germany’s election, economic, and political issues.
But the involvement of Musk — the world’s richest man and the owner of the social media platform X — has also been met with apprehension among government leaders in Europe.
In the United Kingdom, the prime minister accused Musk of spreading “lies” after the billionaire provoked a social media backlash against the British government. Musk has also pushed for the release of jailed far-right political activist Tommy Robinson and amplified a social media uproar that fueled anti-immigration riots.
The German government has even accused Musk of trying to influence its election over his endorsement of the AfD.
Despite the scrutiny, Musk has continued to voice his support for the populist political movements that have galvanized numerous European elections. He has also drawn parallels between the political climate in Germany and the United States while emphasizing the global impact the approaching election could have.
“I think it could decide the entire fate of Europe, maybe the fate of the world.” he told AfD supporters on Saturday, “that is the significance of this election.”