Elon Musk is in the spotlight again. The multi-billionaire, innovation genius and one of the most influential people in the world is now actively involved in political issues. But this time his influence is aimed not at the technology market or space travel, but at the political landscape of Europe. His comments, which are increasingly bordering on provocations, have become the cause of heated discussions in the world media.
After criticizing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whom he called an “incompetent buffoon,” and accusing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer of careless handling of the Attorney General’s investigation into the scandal, Musk sparked a flurry of reactions. His support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the run-up to the Bundestag election further fueled the situation.
World mass media were divided in their assessments. Some believe that Musk crosses the line of what is allowed for an entrepreneur who is not a politician. Others suggest that his intervention could have far-reaching consequences for stability in Europe. However, everyone agrees on one thing: Musk’s influence on political processes is growing more and more, and this cannot be ignored.
Irish Independent – Ireland. Democracies must protect themselves from such attempts at influence – the Dublin Irish Independent believes:
“The mask has a habit of retreating when it meets resistance. Yes, he initially challenged a ruling by Brazil’s Supreme Court that banned the X network from the country for violating a ban on disinformation, but then quietly paid a fine to have the ban lifted.
… Elected governments are not powerless. They can legislate on party funding rules to prevent outside influence. They can delete official government accounts on the X network. They can stop awarding government tenders to Musk’s companies. Musk’s meddling in the election is a serious threat, and it should be treated the same – with all seriousness.”
RFI România – Romania. On the RFI România website, journalist Ovidiu Nahoi offers the following analysis:
“The problem is that tough sanctions can put the Europeans in a position of conflict with the White House – after all, in two weeks, Musk will officially become a member of the US president’s administration.
… Be that as it may, the European Union must ensure compliance with its laws, but at the same time take care to minimize friction with Donald Trump. In addition, the Europeans’ task remains to pressure the X network and other online platforms to remove misleading or hateful accounts – as well as to ensure the transparency of promotions.
… At the same time, the Europeans must demonstrate that they do not aim to attack Musk personally or American concerns, but are only concerned about the protection of the conduct of elections and the reliability of information – regardless of what its sources of access to the network are.”
Eesti Päevaleht – Естония. This kind of intervention cannot be explained simply by a different style of communication, – states the Tallinn Eesti Päevaleht:
“Elon Musk expresses his thoughts with a truly Trumpian directness and without embellishments. It seems to him that political correctness is frowned upon. However, now the situation has gotten somewhat out of control – because his attacks on European countries and their politicians have acquired a personal character. This is not the case in Europe!
… No businessman, and first of all from the United States, should not have the right to interfere in the politics of European countries – even in the mildest form. Only Europe itself can save us, and it is from Europe that we expect the adoption of rules and laws aimed at combating abuses in social networks.”
The Independent – Great Britain. London’s The Independent credits Keir Starmer for ditching the ignore tactics and bluntly challenging Musk during his press conference last Monday:
“The Prime Minister did the right thing, that he gave a sharp rebuff to the slanderous accusations against him: he laid everything out on the shelves, and patiently refuted the accusations, using the facts. Starmer defended his work as head of the Crown Prosecution Service, noting that during his tenure in this position he did not “cover up” Muslim criminal gangs, but, on the contrary, played first fiddle in the fight against them, and for three years from During the seven years he held the post, he worked alongside the Conservative attorney general.
… Musk’s provocative tactics will in any case provide food for slander in the media – regardless of
will Starmer answer it – or not, so the Prime Minister could just as well just state the facts.”
Aargauer Zeitung – Switzerland. The contrast between attempts to influence people’s attitudes and real journalistic work will become more obvious – the Swiss Aargauer Zeitung believes:
“For journalistic media, the new orientation of Facebook and X is a chance. The irreplaceability of mass media is becoming more and more obvious day by day. They are made by professionals who are not anonymous, but, on the contrary, mean. In local journalism, people very often know their heroes. Journalists adhere to the principle of credibility and work in accordance with high ethical and professional standards.
If errors occur, they are corrected; in addition, there is always the possibility of suing this or that newspaper or magazine. Of course, journalistic media is not perfect. However, the very idea that one day they will be completely replaced by Facebook and friends turned out to be an illusion.”
