A heated exchange has erupted between Elon Musk and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz following Scholz’s remarks condemning the use of free speech to promote far-right views.
The dispute comes after Musk made a controversial hand gesture during Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities, which critics associated with a Nazi salute, according to Hotnews.ro.
Scholz, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, stated, “We have freedom of expression in Europe and Germany. Everyone can say what they want, even billionaires. But what we do not accept is support for far-right positions.”
Musk responded to Scholz’s comments with a dismissive post on X, calling the German leader “Oaf Schitz,” a phrase with no meaning in German but resembling an English vulgarity.
Musk’s Growing Political Involvement
This is not the first time Musk has targeted Scholz.
Previously, after a deadly attack at a German Christmas market, Musk criticized the chancellor as an “incompetent fool” and suggested he should resign.
Musk has also drawn criticism for openly supporting the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of next month's elections.
His endorsements of AfD, which has shown alignment with Trump’s administration, have sparked widespread concern in Berlin. Despite mounting pressure, the German government continues to utilize Musk’s platform, X.
European Scrutiny on X’s Content Moderation
The European Commission is intensifying its investigation into X for potential violations of EU content moderation laws.
Concerns have been raised regarding Musk’s live-streamed conversation with Alice Weidel, AfD’s leader, which the Commission is examining for spreading misinformation.
Additionally, Musk has previously clashed with former European Commissioner for Digital Services Thierry Breton over compliance with EU regulations.
Meanwhile, several universities in Germany and Austria have announced their withdrawal from X, citing concerns over the platform’s handling of harmful content.
