France, United Kingdom, Germany and Norway criticize Elon Musk: They accuse him of trying to destabilize Europe

Elon Musk faces a growing wave of criticism from European leaders who accuse him of using his influence to polarize public opinion and spread disinformation after the tycoon publicly pointed out the failure of British institutions in the historic child abuse scandals in the United Kingdom and expressed his support for a right-wing political party in Germany.

Prominent figures such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have condemned the tycoon for using his social media platform to opine on European politics.

One of the posts that generated the most controversy was when Musk wrote: "So many people at all levels of power in the UK need to be in prison for this." The tycoon also criticized that country's Labour government for refusing to hold a public inquiry into the sexual abuse committed by criminal gangs, mainly comprised of people of Pakistani descent in Oldham between 2011 and 2014.

British prime minister responds

Following Musk's posts, Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly criticized those he said "spread lies and misinformation" about child prostitution gangs in the United Kingdom. Although Starmer avoided naming Musk directly, he suggested that the tycoon's publications were part of a strategy of "whipping up of intimidation and of threats of violence, hoping that the media will amplify it."

Macron accuses Musk of election interference

Macron also criticized, accusing Musk of "directly intervening in elections." "Ten years ago, who would have imagined that the owner of one of the world’s largest social networks would be supporting a new international reactionary movement and intervening directly in elections, including in Germany," he expressed.

Scholz condemns right-wing backing

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz added to criticism of Musk, calling his comments on Germany "erratic" and condemning his endorsement of the Alternative for Germany political party (AfD) on the eve of the country's general election.

Norway warns about Musk's influence

Finally, Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store expressed concern about the impact a figure with Musk's wealth and influence could have on European politics.

"I find it worrying that a man with enormous access to social media and large financial resources is so directly involved in the internal affairs of other countries. This is not how it should be between democracies and allies," he said.