Elon Musk's controversial sway on European politics intensifies
Elon Musk and his influence on European politics are becoming a significant challenge for the European Union. As Politico reported, Musk's X platform could impact elections in some countries.
Elon Musk, the well-known billionaire and close associate of Donald Trump, is stirring controversy in Europe. His activities on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, are perceived as support for right-wing political forces. According to "Politico," Musk may influence the upcoming presidential elections in Poland.
Recently, Musk expressed support for Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right party in Germany. Ahead of the parliamentary elections in the country, which will take place on February 23rd, he plans to conduct an interview with the AfD leader, Alice Weidel. Musk also criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, calling him an "incompetent fool".
Musk is not limiting himself to Germany only. He also criticized the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, calling on King Charles III to dissolve parliament and call for early elections.
"Politico" emphasizes that Musk could influence many elections in Europe, including those in Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Ireland, and other countries.
The European Union and the Digital Services Act
The European Union has the ability to respond to Musk's actions through the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The European Commission has previously recognized that the X platform violated DSA regulations, including user verification and ad transparency. Felix Kartte from the lobbying group Reset notes that the DSA gives regulators the ability to assess practices on the X platform.
Kartte emphasizes that if Musk's actions generate public risk, such as amplifying hate speech, regulators could argue that the X platform is not fulfilling its obligations.
"Politico" suggests that although the European Union could use the DSA against Musk, the current priority seems to be cooperation with the Trump administration.
