Elon Musk portrait on red Tesla background. Elon Musk – CEO and product architect of Tesla – blasted by Norwegian PM for meddling in politics outside of the US.
Credit: Shutterstock, kovop
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has blasted Elon Musk for meddling in political affairs beyond US borders, calling it “worrying” and a threat to democratic alliances.
Speaking to Norwegian broadcaster NRK on Monday, January 6, Stoere said, “I find it worrying that a man with enormous access to social media and huge economic resources involves himself so directly in the internal affairs of other countries.”
Musk’s global political playbook
Musk, a billionaire tech mogul and ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, has been causing ripples across Europe lately. Last month, he openly endorsed Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of February’s parliamentary elections. Over in the UK, Musk has stirred controversy by repeatedly calling for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign.
Stoere, however, warned against Musk meddling in Norway’s domestic politics, stating, “If Musk were to involve himself in Norwegian politics, the country’s politicians should collectively distance themselves from such efforts.”
Norway’s elections add pressure
The timing of Stoere’s comments is significant. His minority government – made up of his Labour Party and the Centre Party – is trailing right-wing opposition in opinion polls ahead of Norway’s September parliamentary elections. Despite criticism from within his party, Stoere told NRK he’s staying put, saying, “I’m very motivated to be party leader and prime minister, and to win the election.”
Germany accuses Musk of election interference
Norway isn’t the only country raising alarms about Musk’s behaviour. Germany’s Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck recently accused the Tesla and SpaceX CEO of meddling in their elections, calling Musk’s support for the AfD a “logical and systematic” attempt to weaken Europe. The criticism followed Musk’s guest opinion piece in the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, which was seen as bolstering the far-right party.
Commenting on the situation, Stoere told NRK; “This is not the way things should be between democracies and allies,” a sentiment echoed by many across Europe.
Elon Musk’s political influence
Musk’s global influence extends far beyond tweets and editorials. He spent over $250 million to help Trump secure the presidency and has now been tapped by Trump to advise on federal budget cuts.
With his wealth, social media platform X, and political connections, Musk is becoming a key player on the world stage, raising serious questions about the role of billionaires in shaping democratic systems.
Stoere put it bluntly to NRK; “This is not the way things should be.”
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