(Halle) The American billionaire Elon Musk called on Saturday the supporters of the German far right gathered to an electoral rally to be “proud to be German”, in full controversy after his controversial salvation considered Nazi by some.
Posted at 12 p.m.
Updated at 4 p.m. 24
Edouard Merlo with Isabelle Le Page in Berlin
Agency France-Presse
“It’s ok to be proud to be German. Fight for a bright future for Germany, “said the richest man on the planet by working live by videoconference in front of some 4,500 sympathizers of the alternative for Germany (AFD) gathered at the Fair of Hall.
He reiterated his support for this party which, according to him, embodies “the best hope for Germany”, collecting applause fed by the public gathered to this great gathering before launching the AFD campaign for the legislative elections on February 23.
His unprecedented intervention comes at a time when the American businessman is the subject of many criticisms after having made a salvation twice, described by some as “fascist” or “Nazi”, while others defend ” An awkward gesture ”during a gathering of Donald Trump on Monday evening.
“Fighting, fighting, fighting”
During his very disjointed intervention on Saturday, Musk rented the “German nation” which dates back “thousands of years”. He also said that he had read that the Roman emperor Julius César had already been “impressed” by the fighting spirit of the Germanic tribes.
Finally, he resumed his usual rant against the current government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who, he affirms, “aggressively represses freedom of expression”.
Elon Musk had in the past qualified the social democratic leader as “mad” and “incompetent fool”.
AFD must therefore “fight, fight, fight”, especially for “more self-determination for Germany and for European countries and less Brussels,” he said.
The boss of SpaceX and Tesla, who became an ally and financial support from Donald Trump during the presidential campaign in 2024, recently multiplied the thunderous statements to support far-right parties in Europe, often using X as a voice.
His interference in European affairs has been criticized by many leaders of the Old Continent, with the notable exception of the far -right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
-On December 21, 2024, Elon Musk officially declared on X his support for the far -right German formation by writing: “Only AFD can save Germany”.
In early January, he had organized an exchange on his platform with the co -president of this Alice Weidel party to repeat his support.
On Saturday, she warmly thanked the billionaire. “We wish you, President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance the best to give greatness to America,” she said.
AFD demonstrations
AFD is currently in the second position of the surveys for the legislative elections on February 23 with 20 %, behind the conservatives of the CDU/CSU with 30 % of the voting intentions.
The party hostile to migrants benefits from a series of bloody assaults that have shaken the country in recent months and whose authors were foreigners, who ignited the debate on migration policy.
On Wednesday, a new knife attack in the Bavarian city of Aschaffenbourg, committed by an Afghan in an illegal situation and suffering from psychiatric disorders, has cost a 2 -year -old little boy and a 41 -year -old man who had interposed.
Saturday was also a day of mobilization against AFD: tens of thousands of people went down to the streets to “block” on the far right, especially in Cologne to the west (40,000 according to the police) and Berlin (35,000).
Protesters paraded peacefully, bearing signs that were “the Nazis outside” or “AFD is not an alternative”.
In Berlin, in front of the emblematic Porte de Brandenburg, they formed at night “a sea of light for democracy”, with their mobile phones, brandishing letters forming the word “resistance”, noted AFP journalists .
About 9,100 people also protested AFD in Halle, where some incidents took place, according to local police, who announced the opening of thirteen criminal surveys, especially for assault and insults.
