Germany’s Scholz lashes out at Musk’s ‘disgusting’ interventions in Europe

BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday night hammered tech billionaire Elon Musk over controversial remarks he made about Germans needing to get over their “past guilt” for horrific crimes carried out by the Nazis.

“I’m so angry about Elon Musk intervening for the far right and Elon Musk also not acting adequate to this killing of so many Jews and other people in Europe done by Germans in the past,” said Scholz, speaking in English to journalists on the sidelines of a campaign event in Berlin. “This is the historic responsibility we will continue to take in the future as well.”

Musk, one of the world’s richest men, has become increasingly intertwined with far-right politics in recent years.

He is a close ally of conservative U.S. President Donald Trump and has, much to the ire of Scholz, spent the past few weeks boosting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of a national snap election on Feb. 23.

Scholz added about Musk: “If you look at the print press in Germany, you will see that there are many billionaires that also intervene in politics. That’s not new. What is new is that he is intervening in favor of right-wing politicians all over Europe. And this is really disgusting. And it is not good for the democratic development in all the European Union.”

In a video address to an AfD event last weekend, Musk told Germans they should “move on” from “past guilt.” This call, in line with AfD messaging that Germany’s culture of remembering the crimes it committed during the Nazi era is detrimental to the country, sparked outrage in Germany and beyond.

Earlier in January, Musk hosted a livestream with the AfD leader on X and did not complain when Weidel asserted that Adolf Hitler was a “communist,” which is false. He reiterated his endorsement of the party, saying: “Only AfD can save Germany.”

With less than a month until Germany’s election, the AfD is currently second in the polls — ahead of Scholz’s Social Democratic Party.

“I’m absolutely clear,” said Scholz. “There is a responsibility of Germany that will continue to be a responsibility about the things that have been done by Germans in the past.”

This story has been updated.