Emmanuel Macron slams Elon Musk for 'directly intervening' in elections across the globe

6 January 2025, 15:28

Emmanuel Macron has accused Elon Musk of intervening directly in elections around the world as he lashed out at the tech billionaire for championing a "new international reactionary movement".

The French President took aim at the US-based entrepreneur at a meeting with French ambassadors on Monday. 

He said: “Ten years ago, who could have imagined it if we had been told that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the world would support a new international reactionary movement and intervene directly in elections, including in Germany.”

It comes after the X CEO sparked controversy when he penned an opinion column expressing his approval of the far-right Alternative for Germany party in a German newspaper and on social media last month.

He argued the party was the “last spark of hope” for Germany and labelled the country’s centrist Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, “a fool”. 

Musk also called the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, an “anti-democratic tyrant”.

Read more: Keir Starmer slams 'desperate' Elon Musk for spreading 'lies' and 'whipping up intimidation'

Read more: Macron declares Trump has ‘solid ally’ in France and urges realism over Ukraine

While Macron blasted Musk for intervening in Germany, he welcomed president-elect Donald Trump as a “strong ally” of France. 

Trump is a close Musk ally, with the world's richest man dishing out around $250 million (£210 million) to aid the Republican's presidential campaign. 

Musk had also been considering handing Nigel Farage’s Reform UK £100 million, before the Tesla boss decided the Clacton-on-Sea MP was “not fit” to be leader of the party when the pair appeared to have differing opinions of far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

Farage is not the only UK politician Musk has taken aim at in recent days, with the South African entrepreneur and the British Prime minister also exchanging blows. 

On Monday, Sir Keir Starmer said Musk is "desperate for attention" and urged him to stop spreading “lies”. It came after the billionaire X owner attacked Labour MP Jess Phillips for not launching a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham.

Starmer said in response:  "Those attacking Jess Phillips, who I am proud to call a colleague and friend, are not protecting victims. 

"Jess Phillips has done a thousand times more than they've ever dreamed about when it comes to protecting victims of sexual abuse. "I'm prepared to call this out for what it is... the whipping up of intimidation and threats of violence, hoping that the media will amplify it."

It came just hours after Musk waged his own attack on Starmer on social media.He tweeted:  ""America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government." 

Musk's followers on the platform could respond with a simple "yes," or "no."Up to 71.7% of the thousands who responded voted for "yes." 28.3% of respondents replied no.