Elon Musk’s endorsement of the AfD has sparked calls for a Tesla boycott (Image: Getty)
‘s endorsement of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has sparked calls for a boycott of his electric vehicles elsewhere in Europe.
Mr Musk, who is a key adviser to US President as well as the richest person in the world thanks to his numerous companies and investments, has made no secret of his political views since acquiring the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, in 2022.
After previously expressing his support for the AfD and hosting a chat with the party’s co-leader Alice Weidel, on the weekend he appeared on video at a conference held by the German anti-immigration party. The move was called “ominous” by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Appearing via video link at an AfD campaign rally on Saturday, Mr Musk that “children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents”, in an apparent reference to the Nazi regime.
Addressing the campaigners two days before Holocaust Remembrance Day, he said: “There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that.”
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Mr Tusk denounced the words as “all too familiar and ominous”, and his tourism minister, Sławomir Nitras, has gone even further and called for Polish citizens – around 6 million of whom died in the Holocaust – to launch a boycott of Tesla vehicles in response.
The electric car company, for which Mr Musk is acting CEO, was the most popular electric passenger car in Poland in 2023, with sales of over 2.5 thousand vehicles. The multi-billionaire’s net worth is largely tied to his stakes in companies including Tesla and Space X, his aerospace venture.
“There is no justification for any reasonable Pole to continue purchasing Teslas,” Mr Nitras told the Polish Press Agency. “A serious and strong response is necessary, including a consumer boycott.”
Mr Musk, who is head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under , also made a gesture at a presidential rally on Monday that . He has disputed the claims, writing on X: “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ act is sooo tired.”
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Speaking on January 28, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi’s largest concentration camp, Mr Nitras said: “This ‘Hydra’s’ head may grow back. And, particularly on a day like today, we must remember loudly and speak the truth.”
He also argued that Mr Musk’s comments amounted to interfering in another country’s election. He told reporters: “Perhaps these statements … will cause [the] AfD to receive less support than the polls would suggest, as no one appreciates meddling in their internal affairs.”
The multi-billionaire has claimed that the AfD, whose policies include a cap on immigration, backtracking on environmental pledges and a pro- stance to the conflict, is the only party that can “save Germany”.
Germany will go to the polls on February 23. An opposition bloc of centre-right parties called the Union, led by Friedrich Merz, is currently leading pre-election polls, with the AfD in second place.