Daijiworld Media Network - Paris
Paris, Jan 7: French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concerns over tech billionaire Elon Musk's purported involvement in European political affairs, particularly in relation to Germany's forthcoming federal elections.
In a recent foreign policy address in Paris, Macron alluded to Musk's alleged support for Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, cautioning against the potential destabilization of democratic systems by influential individuals.
"Who could have imagined, 10 years ago, that the owner of one of the world's largest social networks would intervene directly in elections, including in Germany?" Macron remarked, as reported by the associated press.
This sentiment is echoed by other European leaders. German chancellor Olaf Scholz's government has addressed Musk's involvement, emphasizing the resilience of Germany's democratic processes against external influences. A government spokesperson stated, "The normal people, the sensible people, the decent people are far in the majority in this country. We act as if Musk's statements could influence a country of 84 million people with untruths or half-truths or expressions of opinion. This is simply not the case," as reported by Deutsche Welle.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded to Musk's previous criticisms concerning his handling of child sexual exploitation cases. Starmer dismissed these accusations as self-serving falsehoods, underscoring the importance of focusing on victims rather than engaging in misinformation. "Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible are not interested in victims. They're interested in themselves," Starmer stated, according to Sky News.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also expressed concerns about Musk's political interventions, highlighting the potential implications of such actions on national sovereignty and democratic integrity. "I find it worrying that a man with enormous access to social media and huge economic resources involves himself so directly in the internal affairs of other countries," Reuters quoted him as telling Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
These collective apprehensions underscore the challenges posed by the involvement of influential tech figures like Musk in the political landscapes of sovereign nations.