Following the Alternative for Germany's significant electoral success, Elon Musk reached out to party leader Alice Weidel with congratulations. Despite the party's best-ever results, potential coalition challenges loom as mainstream parties remain reluctant to engage.
Elon Musk Congratulates Alternative for Germany Party After Historic Election Performance
Elon Musk Congratulates Alternative for Germany Party After Historic Election Performance
Alice Weidel shares that Musk called following the AfD's record-setting elections, amidst ongoing debates over the party's far-right stance.
The hard-right political landscape in Germany has taken a notable turn, as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party celebrated a record electoral performance. Although the party did not achieve its desired results during the latest national election, a remarkable 20.8 percent of the vote secured them second place, prompting a congratulatory phone call from none other than Elon Musk.
Alice Weidel, the AfD's chancellor candidate, recounted the moment on Monday, sharing with reporters that she had initially missed the call from Musk, who is known as the richest man in the world and a prominent figure in U.S. politics. Upon checking her phone after the election, she discovered a missed call from the United States and was pleasantly surprised to learn it was Musk, who "congratulated me personally."
Musk later took to his social platform X to publicly recognize Weidel, sharing a congratulatory message from Hungarian leader Viktor Orban with an additional note stating, “Indeed, congratulations @Alice_Weidel! At this rate of growth, @AfD will be the majority party by the next election.”
The AfD's electoral result marks a historic achievement as it nearly doubled its percentage from the previous 2021 elections, the best showing for any far-right political group in Germany since World War II. However, challenges remain for the party, as Friedrich Merz, leader of the winning Christian Democrats, has expressed no interest in coalition talks with the AfD, effectively sidelining the party.
With a platform focused on limiting immigration and enhancing economic performance, parts of the AfD have come under scrutiny, being classified as extremist by German domestic intelligence. Elon Musk's involvement with the AfD continues to raise eyebrows, especially after Vice President JD Vance recently met with Weidel and suggested that mainstream political parties should not exclude far-right factions from the conversation.
Musk's endorsement, first noted last December and amplified through various communications, has not drastically changed the electoral landscape, as party co-leader Tino Chrupalla acknowledged that Musk's influence might not directly attract voters. Nonetheless, he recognized that Musk's support has sparked interest and garnered contributions from business sectors.
As the AfD navigates its newfound position within the German political landscape, it faces the dual challenge of maintaining voter support while contending with the broader implications of its far-right ideology and the mixed reactions from international figures like Musk.
