Musk-Weidel conversation on X: Bundestag is examining Musk’s election campaign interference because of his conversation with Weidel

The Bundestag administration is dealing with the planned conversation between Elon Musk and the AfD candidate for chancellor Alice Weidel X. The administration wrote that they wanted to check whether this was an attempt to influence the election campaign and an illegal party donation. At first they had Rhenish Post reported.

The organization Lobbycontrol has made allegations of possible hidden campaign donations. The conversation is expected to be spread significantly more widely on X than posts from other users, the organization wrote. “In this respect, one can certainly speak of political advertising here, because platform X normally sells such a reach for a lot of money.” Weidel’s spokesman said it was a legitimate “uncoordinated and open conversation.”

The expert for the regulation of online platforms at the European Digital Rights Association (EDRi), Jan Penfrat, said that the conversation would only violate the European Digital Services Act (DSA) under certain conditions: if Musk were to use his platform to attract certain political voices To give visibility – or if illegal statements were made during the conversation.

Habeck calls for transparency about X’s algorithms

Federal Economics Minister and Green Party candidate for chancellor Robert Habeck also said that it was not the conversation itself that was worrying, but rather how X worked. Firstly, he didn’t care that Musk and Weidel were talking to each other and, secondly, it wasn’t a problem, he told the broadcasters RTL and n-tv as well the Welt. Another question is more important: “Are the algorithms that platform X uses aligned so that there is a one-sided advantage for certain content?” he said. Whether it’s about the content of the AfD or of Elon Musk is “hard to tell apart at the moment”.

In this case it would have AfD a “monetary advantage,” said Habeck. “That would be party financing, in this case probably illegal party financing.” He demanded that, regardless of the election campaign, the logic with which platforms like

Musk and Weidel want to speak publicly on X this Thursday evening. It should be about the current political situation with a view to the federal election on February 23rd. Musk has been promoting the AfD and other right-wing groups in Europe for some time.

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