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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Elon Musk endorsed Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) in a guest opinion piece published online by Welt am Sonntag on December 28, 2024, ahead of the country’s scheduled February 23, 2025 snap election. He called the party “the last spark of hope for this country.” The piece prompted an editorial resignation and a published rebuttal, while raising questions about political speech and the influence of a high-profile foreign business figure during an election campaign.
What did Musk say?
Musk’s Welt am Sonntag article expanded on his earlier public support for the AfD. He argued that his investments in Germany gave him standing to comment on the country’s politics and described the party as the country’s “last spark of hope,” according to the Associated Press’s report and translation of the piece: AP.
He also disputed the description of the AfD as far-right, pointing to its leader, Alice Weidel, and her same-sex partner. That was Musk’s argument about the party’s character; it does not by itself settle how the party is classified. The Guardian reported that Germany’s domestic intelligence agency had classified the AfD nationally as a suspected extremist case since 2021: The Guardian.
Why was the endorsement controversial?
The article appeared during an active campaign for a snap election, called after Germany’s governing coalition collapsed. Contemporary coverage described the AfD as polling strongly in December 2024 and noted that mainstream parties had ruled out national cooperation with it. Those were campaign-time observations, not statements about the party’s standing or political alliances today. Deutsche Welle reported on the campaign context and the controversy surrounding the endorsement: DW.
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The dispute involved more than Musk’s policy arguments. It also concerned whether a prominent business figure’s public support for a party, amplified through a major newspaper during an election campaign, could influence political debate. The reporting documented controversy and reactions, but does not establish that the opinion piece changed voters’ choices or affected the election result.
How did the newspaper respond?
Welt am Sonntag opinion editor Eva Marie Kogel said she resigned after the piece went to print. The newspaper ran a response alongside Musk’s article by incoming editor-in-chief Jan Philipp Burgard, who wrote: “Musk’s diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally wrong.” The Associated Press reported both the resignation and Burgard’s response: AP.
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The juxtaposition made the editorial disagreement visible to readers: the paper published Musk’s advocacy but also gave space to a senior editor’s rejection of his conclusion.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did German political leaders say about free expression?
On December 20, 2024—before the newspaper article appeared—Chancellor Olaf Scholz responded to Musk’s earlier endorsement of the AfD on X. Scholz said, in an English translation reported by ARD Tagesschau: “But freedom of expression also means that you can say things that are not right and do not contain good political advice.” His remarks addressed the earlier social-media endorsement, not the December 28 op-ed. ARD Tagesschau.
That distinction captures the debate’s central tension: freedom of expression protects the ability to make political arguments, while readers and political leaders remain free to criticize their accuracy, judgment, or influence.
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What the episode does—and does not—establish
- Established: Musk endorsed the AfD in a published guest opinion piece, and the piece drew a public editorial response and resignation.
- Attribution matters: His claims about the party and his investment-based rationale were arguments he made, not independent findings.
- Time matters: The polling and campaign context described in December 2024 should not be read as current information.
- Not established by the cited coverage: That the publication changed voter behavior or determined the election outcome.
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