REPORTING. “A resurgence of the far right”… Why is Elon Musk attacking the United Kingdom?

On January 6, the founder of Tesla and Space The question received nearly 2 million answers and over 44 million views. While Elon Musk shows some support for Reform UK, the far-right party, he has indicated that Nigel Farage, the iconic founder and champion of Brexit, does not make a satisfactory leader.

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The multi-billionaire also criticized Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, of having been “complicit” in the rapes committed in England when he was a prosecutor. This interest in the United Kingdom has been evident since at least Labor’s victory in July 2024. During the summer riots, triggered following the murder of three little girls in the north of England, comments from the boss of ‘X even contributed to fueling the violence that spread across the country.

Musk’s interests in danger in the UK?

Across the Channel, these interventions are interpreted in different ways. Elon Musk could seek to interfere in British politics over a new law to regulate the use of social media. Since the end of 2024, companies must protect users of their platform from illegal activities and content harmful to adults and children.

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Companies that fail to comply with these rules can be fined up to 18 million pounds (22 million euros) or 10% of their global turnover, whichever is greater. Senior executives could even be criminally liable if these platforms do not comply with the new measures. Elon Musk had indeed criticized this bill and would have even considered ending its operations in the United Kingdom if the text were to come into force.

A fixation by opportunism

But William Hurst, co-director of the Center for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge, believes that the businessman’s objective, if there is one, would be more political. “These reactions are perhaps spontaneous, without a coherent objective behind them,” he warns. “But it is more likely that there is an agenda, shaped, I think, by the current political context of liberal democracies. The center-right s he has collapsed and the center-left is weak and fragmented We are witnessing a resurgence of the far right, or the emergence of a new, alternative right, in many countries, including the United States. Trump pushes geopolitics sense, and Elon Musk, who has embraced his politics, is doing the same.”

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However, for the expert, Elon Musk would be fixated on the United Kingdom mainly out of opportunism, while Labor is in a weakened position. As the next elections are not immediate, Elon Musk’s strategy would be to attack the leaders personally, and in particular Keir Starmer, and to try to pit the factions against each other.

“We saw a similar strategy in Canada,” he points out. Donald Trump and Elon Musk used personal attacks against Justin Trudeau and others when divisions within the Liberal Party became apparent. In Italy, Donald Trump and Elon Musk find the current government to their liking and have the impression of being able to work on good terms with Giorgia Meloni. In France, they are somehow stuck with Emmanuel Macron, so there is not much to do. on that side.”

But as the German federal elections approach, Elon Musk is already speaking out in favor of the AfD, the German far-right party.