Ayhan Şimşek
21 January 2025•Update: 22 January 2025
BERLIN
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday criticized tech billionaire Elon Musk for supporting the far-right political parties and movements in Europe.
“We have the freedom of speech in Europe and in Germany, everyone can say what he wants,” Scholz told an international audience at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
“What we do not accept is if this is supporting extreme-right positions, and this is what I would like to repeat again,” he said.
Scholz made the remarks in response to a question about Musk’s controversial arm gesture on Monday, during a speech celebrating the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
Musk placed his right hand twice over his heart before extending his arm upward, a gesture some social media users compared to the “Sieg Heil” victory salute used by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
Later, Musk denied on X that it was a Nazi salute. “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is (so) tired,” he said.
Earlier this month, Musk drew sharp criticism from Germany's political establishment by endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of the Feb. 23 general elections. The German government has accused Musk of attempting to influence the country's election campaign through his support for AfD.
