Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said on Monday, the 6th of January, that he was “worried” that billionaire social media owner Elon Musk was interfering in the politics of other countries, report Politico and Reuters.
Musk, who is a key ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, has been on a social media rampage over the festive period, expressing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, repeatedly condemning UK Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling for his resignation and even breaking off relations with British far-right leader Nigel Farage.
“It is worrying to me that a man who has enormous access to social media and vast financial resources is so directly involved in the internal affairs of other countries. This should not be the relationship between democracies and allies,” Støre told public broadcaster NRK.
Støre was answering a question whether he was concerned about possible Musk interference in the Norwegian elections.
“If we were to experience something like that in Norway, I hope and assume that the united Norwegian political environment would warn and distance itself from it,” Støre added.
The Norwegian prime minister’s left government is trailing the right parties in polls ahead of the September elections. Despite this, Støre has confirmed his intention to take the government to the polls, rejecting calls from some party members to resign. He is determined to win the elections.
Støre’s comments are part of a political backlash against Musk, in which German political leaders claim that the Tesla owner’s support for the AfD constitutes electoral interference.
Musk has announced that he will hold a live discussion with AfD chancellor candidate Alice Weidel this week on X ahead of the German snap elections on the 23rd February.
German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck said that Musk’s support for Germany’s far-right AfD was a “logical and systematic” move by the billionaire to bring about a weak Europe that will not be able to regulate as strongly.