Is Elon Musk looking to extend his influence across the Atlantic? For several weeks now, he has been making numerous statements of support for far-right European parties or personalities.
This Thursday, he called on X to release the English far-right activist Tommy Robinson, imprisoned in England for repeating defamatory remarks against a Syrian refugee. At the same time, he attacked Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whom he accused of “running a tyrannical police state”.
Helping the far right
Coming from the hooligan movement, Tommy Robinson has already been convicted several times and founded the “European Defense League”, an Islamophobic far-right movement. During the anti-migrant riots last summer, he ignited the situation by spreading false information on his social networks followed by more than a million people. A character that Elon Musk has repeatedly defended, claiming that Robinson is “telling the truth” and that he is being punished for it.
And this is not an isolated case. A few weeks ago, we already learned that the billionaire wishes to financially support the far-right party “Reform UK”. He reportedly met the leader of this group, Nigel Farage, former Brexit standard-bearer, at Donald Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago. In an interview with the BBC, Farage admitted to being in “open negotiations” with Elon Musk (this Sunday, the owner of X and Tesla dropped Nigel Farage by declaring: “The Reform party needs a new leader. Farage does not doesn't have what it takes,” reports AFP). “Money, influence, this is what it can bring to these far-right movements,” says political scientist Jean-Yves Camus. Even if for the moment we remain in fairly virtual support.”
Musk makes his tour of Europe
If Jean-Yves Camus speaks of “these” movements in the plural, it is because the boss of Tesla has extended his influence to other countries such as Germany, and more particularly his far-right party the AfD, monitored by German intelligence services. After numerous posts of support on X, a few days ago he signed an article in the daily newspaper The worldtitled: “Why Elon Musk is banking on the AfD”. According to him, the party is “the last glimmer of hope” in a country “on the verge of economic and cultural collapse”. A position that shakes this country in the midst of a political crisis, after the dissolution of Parliament by Olaf Scholz.
Giorgia Meloni in Italy, Viktor Orban in Hungary… Elon Musk is weaving his network. But for political scientist Erwan Lecoeur, this is not the first time that the Trumpists have attempted these connections: “In 2019, Steve Bannon had already tried to bring together the different European far-right movements.” A failure, linked according to him to a major difference in political culture. “Today, Elon Musk is taking up the same project but moving up a gear.” It embodies the same themes as these parties, defending a “civilization”, “values” which would be endangered by “wokism” everywhere in the world.
Today the United States, tomorrow, Europe?
An unlimited fortune, an influential social network in the palm of his hand, could the billionaire influence tomorrow's elections in Europe? “We should be more than worried,” continues Erwan Lecoeur. We already know that there is a system of influence, fueled by private television and social networks, which is winning the cultural battle. The question is how much time do we have left? » According to the political scientist, the authoritarianism which is progressing in Europe and around the world, married to the ultracapitalism defended by Elon Musk, will strongly influence our continent in the coming years.
But for Jean-Yves Camus, we must not give in to panic: “Will he be able to continue to be as present in the media from the moment Donald Trump arrives at the White House? » [il sera alors chargé de « couper » dans l’administration américaine]. Taking advantage of a window where the president elected in November must patiently wait for his inauguration to act, Elon is in the spotlight today, but could well be sent back behind the scenes as of January 20.
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Our two political scientists therefore soon expect a war of egos at the top of American power. War that could have collateral damage… in Europe.
