Chancellor Scholz Rebukes Musk's Political Claims Amid Germany's Pre-Election Tension

Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected Elon Musk's claim that only the far-right AfD can save Germany. Scholz stressed that freedom of opinion applies to everyone, including billionaires. With his coalition in disarray and an early election approaching, Scholz faces strong opposition from the center-right Union bloc.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has dismissed tech billionaire Elon Musk's assertion that Germany's salvation lies with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Scholz emphasized that freedom of opinion extends to everyone, including multi-billionaires, but also called for responsibility in political discourse.

As Germany gears up for early elections on February 23, Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats trail the opposition centre-right Union bloc, and his coalition government has recently fallen apart. Despite AfD's strong polling numbers, its leader Alice Weidel's chances of becoming chancellor are slim, due to other parties' refusal to collaborate with AfD.

The German government, while concerned about developments on Musk's platform X, formerly Twitter, maintains a presence there to engage with citizens. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will decide on parliament dissolution soon, with an announcement expected on December 27.

(With inputs from agencies.)