Elon Musk authored an article endorsing the anti-immigration AfD party.
Eva Marie Kogel, opinion editor at Germany’s leading newspaper Die Welt, resigned following the publication of an Elon Musk op-ed defending the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Kogel announced her resignation on X, stating that she made the decision after the article’s publication in Welt am Sonntag.
Musk, CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, and X (formerly Twitter), penned the piece after previously praising the AfD on social media. In the op-ed, he lauded the AfD as “the last spark of hope” for Germany, claiming its “pragmatic” approach would revitalize the nation and arguing that other parties are disconnected from ordinary citizens.
Musk wrote, “The traditional parties have failed Germany. Their policies have led to economic stagnation, social unrest and an erosion of national identity. Despite being far-right, AfD represents political realism that resonates with many Germans who feel that their concerns are being ignored by the establishment.” He further asserted that the characterization of the AfD as far-right is inaccurate.
German media reported that the op-ed sparked internal debate at Die Welt, with some staff viewing it as interference in the upcoming February 2025 parliamentary election.
Die Welt senior reporter Jan Philipp Burgard countered Musk’s arguments in a rebuttal, describing his praise of the AfD as “fatally flawed” and criticizing the paper’s failure to label the party as far-right.
Franziska Zimmerer, another Die Welt journalist, argued in her own op-ed that Musk’s piece should not have been published, writing, “Election appeals, no matter the party, have no place in independent media.”
Established in 2013, the AfD advocates for stricter asylum laws and combats organized crime and Islamic extremism. The party’s popularity has grown in recent years, securing its first regional election victory in Thuringia last September.
The 2025 election was triggered by the collapse of the ruling three-party coalition due to budgetary disagreements.