The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party achieved a significant victory in a recent German state election, coming within a few seats of forming the country’s first far-right government since World War II. The party’s strong showing has raised concerns across Germany and beyond, especially after Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and owner of the social media platform X, publicly praised the result. Musk posted on X, “Gut gemacht!” (which translates to “Well done!” in English), congratulating AfD leader Alice Weidel. In return, the party’s leader in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, thanked Musk, calling him a “visionary.” Siegmund has advocated for reducing the emphasis on Germany’s wartime history in schools and has had top staff who previously belonged to a banned neo-Nazi youth group. Musk has increasingly aligned himself with far-right movements in recent years, using his influence on X to support anti-immigration activists, illiberal leaders, and nationalist parties. His views on immigration, politics, and race have often mirrored those of the AfD. In late 2024, Musk wrote an opinion piece for the German newspaper Die Welt, in which he praised the AfD as “the last spark of hope” for Germany, claiming the country was on the brink of “economic and cultural collapse.” He also claimed that the party was not extreme, pointing to the fact that its leader, Alice Weidel, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka. “Does that sound like Hitler to you?” he asked. Musk’s political involvement has grown significantly since 2024, when he backed Donald Trump’s reelection with over $100 million of his own money. He has formed alliances with other international far-right leaders, including Argentina’s Javier Milei, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and UK anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson. Musk also connected with Naomi Seibt, a German anti-immigration activist, after seeing her posts on X. In early 2025, Musk hosted a livestream with Weidel, which researchers say significantly boosted the party’s visibility on X and in traditional German media. However, despite this support, Musk remains deeply unpopular in Germany, with only 19% of the public having a favorable view of him, according to a recent YouGov poll. While the AfD’s rise is largely due to domestic political dynamics, Musk has taken credit for the party’s success, claiming that his ownership of X caused a “vibe shift” that helped the AfD win. He has also defended the party against media outlets that describe it as far-right, calling such labels “propaganda.” The AfD’s platform includes controversial policies such as banning public displays of Islamic beliefs, opposing same-sex marriage, and promoting mass deportations under the concept of “remigration.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has criticized these policies as a form of “ethnic cleansing,” a claim the AfD rejects. Musk, meanwhile, continues to support the party, reinforcing the complex and often controversial relationship between a global tech mogul and a far-right political movement.