Elon Musk beams into far-right rally to praise ‘German values’

Musk spoke in favour of voting for the far-right party, saying: “I’m very excited for the AfD [Alternative fuer Deutschland]; I think you’re really the best hope for Germany fight for a great future for Germany,” he told onlookers.

Weidel thanked him, said the Republicans were making America great again, and called on her supporters to make Germany great again.

Earlier this month, Musk hosted Weidel in an interview on X, stirring concern about election meddling.

Despite winter weather, anti-far right campaigners were out in force on Saturday, with about 100,000 gathering around Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate and up to 20,000 in Cologne, including people of all ages carrying colourful umbrellas.

At Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, a huge crowd blew whistles, sang anti-fascist songs and carried banners denouncing AfD. Activists said they hoped the rally also would draw attention to other far-right parties in Europe and the new administration of US President Donald Trump.

“Those who fuel racism and attack climate protection are not just campaigning, they are endangering lives,” Luisa Neubauer with the Fridays for Future climate group told the crowd.

Europe’s largest economy has been shaken after Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed late last year in a dispute over how to revitalise amid stagnation.

Scholz on Sunday accused his main rival in the federal elections on Sunday February 23 of breaking a taboo by signalling his openness to pushing disputed measures on migration through parliament with AfD.

Friedrich Merz, chancellor candidate for the two allied conservative parties leading polls, has long ruled out forming a coalition with AfD, deeming them too extreme.

He has, however, shifted the conservatives’ stance on migration ever farther to the right in recent years so that it increasingly resembles that of the far-right party.