Elon Musk’s German election interference: Could Tesla face fallout? What Friedrich Merz says

Friedrich Merz, likely to be the next German chancellor, said the world's richest person, Elon Musk, would face consequences for meddling in election campaigning in Germany if he takes office.

Musk sparked an outcry in the country after he boosted the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the run-up to next week's vote.

Friedrich Merz’s response

Referring to what he sees as the Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s interference in elections, Friedrich Merz told The Wall Street Journal, “What happened in this election campaign cannot go unchallenged.”


“It can be a political response. It can be a legal response. I want to analyse this calmly after this election campaign,” added the leader of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union.

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Asked whether the consequences could affect Tesla, which has its only European Gigafactory in Germany, Merz said he is “deliberately leaving the consequences open for now.”

Musk endorses AfD

Ahead of the February 23 polls in Germany, Musk has thrown his weight behind Alternative for Germany, endorsing it for the first time in December last year on X )formerly Twitter), the social media platform he owns, Politico reported.

On X, Musk even criticised key German politicians while calling Chancellor Olaf Scholz a “fool”. He claimed that AfD is the only force that could “save” the country.

"Scholz should resign immediately. Incompetent fool," he said in a post in December 2024.

'Needs to be investigated'

Merz said authorities should probe whether Musk’s support for the AfD qualifies as an illegal party donation.

“It is election campaign support. Whether it also represents an economic saving or contribution to the AfD, so to speak, needs to be investigated,” Merz told The Wall Street Journal.

He added that the way somebody from outside the Europe “intervenes in a national election campaign in this way is new.”

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But Merz refrained from commenting on whether he would address Musk's involvement during his meeting with US Vice President JD Vance this week at the Munich Security Conference.

FAQs

1. Who is leading in Germany's election polls?
Friedrich Merz's conservatives appear to be in pole position to lead the next government.


2. When will the election take place in Germany?
Voters in Germany will head to the ballot box on February 23.