The French President, Emmanuel Macron, accused Monday January 6, without mentioning him by name, the boss of X, the billionaire Elon Musk, of supporting “a new reactionary international” and interference in elections, particularly in Germany.
“Ten years ago, if we had been told that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the world would support a new reactionary international movement and intervene directly in elections, including in Germany, who would have imagined it? “, launched the president during the thirtieth conference of ambassadors, in Paris, in reference to the American billionaire's continued support for the German far-right AfD party.
While Mr. Musk is part of Donald Trump's inner circle, Emmanuel Macron has assumed a position of « prudence relative » regarding the return to business of the former President of the United States. “From 2016 to 2020, France knew how to work with President Trump,” he recalled, without denying the existence of “disagreements” regarding the “climate issue” et “international order”. “It’s up to us to know how to cooperate with the choice that was made by the American people,” added the head of state.
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“Destabilizing powers”
In his speech, Emmanuel Macron spoke more broadly about “disorder of the world” and the“weakening of international rules”as well as the activity of “destabilizing powers”.
A few weeks ago, “Romania had to cancel a presidential election due to interference and electoral manipulation clearly attributed to Russia: who would have imagined this just ten years ago? “, he asked.
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In an international context marked by “return of imperial impulses”, “we need both moral strength, but also simply strength”judged the French president, who hammered home his “refusal of European weakening”.
