On December 20, Elon Musk, moments after playing a significant role in Washington’s annual government shutdown drama, had set his sights 4,000 miles across the Atlantic.
The billionaire tech entrepreneur and owner of X publicly endorsed the conservative political party in Germany (Alternativ fur Deutschland – AfD) by posting on his platform: “Only the AfD can save Germany.” Just days earlier, the center-left coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz had collapsed, forcing Scholz to call for snap elections in Germany.
Under Scholz, Germany has lost its focus as it chased a pan-European vision for globalization, subservient to the United States. It expanded the military budget to hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine, sending weapons and equipment to the beleaguered country. Scholz cut off the umbilical cord of cheap and limitless Russian energy and caused Germany to give up its innate leadership in innovation, engineering, and manufacturing, all of which had placed Germany on the world map as one of the wealthiest countries.
As we noted in these columns a few days ago, Scholz has been particularly bad at managing Germany. Europe’s largest economy has seen its auto industry, a cornerstone of its might, suffer irreversible consequences. As manufacturing costs rose, the country’s automakers, slow to embrace Electric Vehicles, are steadily losing business to Chinese and American competitors. Volkswagen, the country’s largest employer with an 87-year history, announced that it planned to shut at least three factories in Germany, lay off tens of thousands of staff, and shrink its remaining plants, the first time it was resorting to such action. The German economy continues to be in a recession.
According to a September survey published by Infratest Dimap, Scholz’s popularity ratings were some of the lowest ever recorded by a German leader, at just 18%. In November, the German broadcaster DW characterized Scholz’s government as the most unpopular in postwar history.
The AfD is known for its anti-immigration, pro-Russian, and Eurosceptic stances, all of which are a no-no for Scholz. However, Scholz is a leader with a weak future and probably faces an exit from political life altogether, like other NeoCon leaders in the United States, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence, and Liz Cheney. Besides, voters appear to be on the AfD’s side, and Musk knows when to pick a winning horse.
In the 2024 European Parliament elections, AfD secured 15.9% of the vote, becoming the second-largest party in Germany. In September 2024, in regional elections in eastern Germany, where the conservative moment is still significant, the AfD won big. In the state of Thuringia, the party won 32.8% of the vote, forming the government there. In Brandenburg, the AfD secured 29.2% of the vote, narrowly losing to the Social Democrats (SPD), who received 30.9%.
The latest polling and party breakdown underscore Germany’s shifting political tides, as illustrated below:
German politicians, whose eyes are always on Washington, should not have been surprised by Musk’s tweet. Ever since Musk acquired Twitter, made the social media platform all about protecting free speech, and teamed up with President-elect Trump to power his landslide victory last month, Musk’s political positioning has been well known. The billionaire believes that a country has to protect its borders as a bulwark against illegal immigration while investing efforts to focus inwards on domestic priorities.
The endorsement could come with risks for Musk’s Tesla, which has a major factory in Germany. The AfD has historically opposed Tesla’s operations in Germany due to environmental concerns, creating a paradoxical situation in which Musk supports a party that opposes his company’s interests in the country. However, President-elect Trump has also been critical of EV mandates, stating that these would harm auto employment in the Midwest – and that Trumpian policy has not diluted Musk’s support for Trump.
Musk’s move signifies his broader political alignment with conservative populist movements across Europe, following his support for other figures like Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and the UK’s Nigel Farage. Such a shift could expand Musk’s political influence from tech and business into international politics, potentially affecting the narrative around “Country-first” politics in Europe.
Musk’s endorsement of AfD has been met with significant backlash. German politicians from various parties have criticized Musk for interfering in German politics, with some accusing him of supporting a party with neo-Nazi ties. According to Euronews, Dennis Radtke, a Member of the European Parliament, called Musk’s comments “irritating and unacceptable,” accusing the billionaire of meddling in Germany’s election. Radtke also labeled Musk a “threat to democracy” and criticized X as a platform for spreading disinformation, standard lines of attack used by Democrats in the United States.
If Trump’s experience is an indication, Musk’s AfD endorsement could influence public perception and voter sentiment, particularly among his followers on X. Given his global influence, his support might lend the AfD more visibility and legitimacy, especially in the international context. AfD, which is currently #2 in the polls, could well win and form the next government under Alice Weidel, the AfD’s candidate for chancellor. Such an outcome will trigger transformational changes in Germany and across Europe, including Germany’s support for Ukraine and the role that Germany would play in a weakened European Union.
It is little wonder that Musk is getting under the skin of Germany’s establishment political leaders.
TIPP Picks
Selected articles from tippinsights.com
1. Trump Optimism Drives Consumer Sentiment To 40-Month High: RealClearMarkets/TIPP – Editorial Board, TIPP Insights
2. Public Support Shifts From Defund Police to Pro-Police Policies Nationwide – Craig Floyd, The Daily Signal
3. IRS Whistleblowers Push Forward On Defamation Case Against Hunter Biden’s Lawyer – Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal
4. MSNBC Legal Analyst Lays Out What Will Likely Happen Next After Fani Willis Was Booted From Trump Case – Jason Cohen, DCNF
5. Where’s Our $300 Million? – Editorial Board, Issues & Insights
6. You Can’t Always Smear Who You Want – Editorial Board, TIPP Insights
7. Biden Promised A Return To Normalcy, Looks Like Trump Will Deliver It – Editorial Board, Issues & Insights
8. Biden Policies Slowed America’s Wireless Internet Expansion To Dial-Up Speed – Seton Motley, The Daily Signal
9. Americans Pay The Price For The Left’s Broken Healthcare System – Editorial Board, TIPP Insights
10. Trump Should Pattern Presidency After Eisenhower – Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., The Ron Paul Institute
11. From Public Defender To Public Servant — If Liberals Were Honest, They’d Love The Kash Patel Story – Michael Spivack, Daily Caller
12. Trump Administration Nomination Signals Return To Respect For Effective Patent Rights – Adam Mossoff, The Daily Signal
13. Trump Targets Birthright Citizenship, Tripping Immigration’s Third Rail – Editorial Board, TIPP Insights
14. U.S. Should Deport Criminals Who Are Here Illegally, More Than 2/3 Of Voters Say: I&I/TIPP Poll – Terry Jones, TIPP Insights
15. Tom Homan Tells Tucker Carlson He ‘Used to Respect’ Mayorkas – Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal
16. Showdown In DOGE City – Peter van Buren, The Ron Paul Institute
17. North Carolina Lawmakers Demand Congress Pass Disaster Aid Before Leaving Town – Adam Pack, DCNF
18. Explaining The Beef Between Donald Trump And Chip Roy – Bradley Devlin, The Daily Signal
19. America Needs A Subzero Blackout Prevention Program – David Wojick, CFACT
20. International And State Interference In U.S. Energy Must End – Paul Driessen, CFACT
21. Global Coal Consumption Hit Record High In 2024 | Infographics – TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
22. The Dumbest Fallacy In Foreign Policy – Ben Shapiro, The Daily Signal
23. Pentagon Spox Admits He ‘Recently Learned’ He’d Been Peddling False US Troop Numbers In Syria – Wallace White, DCNF
24. Several Hundreds Dead In Mayotte Cyclone | Infographics – TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
25. Two Russian Oil Tankers Wrecked In Black Sea | Infographics – TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
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TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Gaza Ceasefire Talks 90% Complete: Palestinian Official – BBC
Talks to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas are 90% complete, but key issues like the continued Israeli military presence in the Philadelphi corridor remain need to be bridged, a senior Palestinian official involved in the talks told the BBC.
The Palestinian official shared details of the discussions which include the potential creation of a buffer zone several kilometres wide along the length of Israel’s border with Gaza. The official said Israel would retain a military presence within this area.
2. U.S. Airstrikes Hit Houthi Missile Storage And Command Facility In Yemen: CENTCOM – Al Arabiya
“CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden,” according to a statement published on X by U.S. Central Command.
“The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping,” the statement added.
3. Russia Moving Military Assets To Africa After Syria Setback – RFE/RL
Flight data and satellite imagery analyzed by RFE/RL appear to show that Russia is reducing its military footprint in Syria and shifting some of its assets from the Middle Eastern country to Africa.
To offset the potential loss of its air base in Hmeimim and naval base in Tartus, Russia looks to be increasing its presence in Libya, Mali, and Sudan. However experts say the African countries are unlikely to be viable alternatives.
4. Kyiv Hits Kursk After Massive Wave Of Deadly Russian Strikes On Ukraine – RFE/RL
Ukraine launched a deadly missile attack on the Russian region of Kursk, hours after Russia carried out a massive air assault on Kyiv during rush hour that killed one person and damaged a historic cathedral and other buildings in the capital, including six embassies.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said an unspecified number of people were killed in the attack on Kursk involving U.S.-supplied HIMARS rockets on the town of Rylsk.
5. One U.S.-Sanctioned Hong Kong Company Disappears, Another Takes Its Place – RFA
A Hong Kong security company sanctioned by the U.S. for allegedly supporting Russia has disappeared from a list of government-licensed security firms, only to be replaced by a start-up company that has directors and government contracts in common with its predecessor or its parent company, Radio Free Asia has learned.
VPOWER Finance Security (Hong Kong) Ltd. had been in the business of cash counting, management, and the transportation of valuables under armed escort until it was sanctioned on June 12 by U.S. for allegedly providing armed gold escort services to Russia.
6. China Calls Taiwan A ‘Red Line,’ Criticizes New U.S. Military Aid To Island – Reuters
China criticized new U.S. military aid to Taiwan, saying the $571 million package seriously violates the “one China principle” and provisions of joint communique between China and the U.S.
China will take “all necessary measures” to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, a foreign ministry spokesperson said, calling Taiwan “a red line that must not be crossed” in China-U.S. relations, according to a statement released by the ministry.
7. China’s Farm Sector More Tainted By Forced Labor Than Previously Known, Report Says – RFA
Chinese exports of tomatoes, chili peppers, marigolds, and other farm products grown in the far-western region of Xinjiang are tainted by forced labor as well as the coercive transfer of land from Uyghur peasants to Chinese businesses, new research shows.
The growing of these goods is also tainted by the forced assimilation and political indoctrination of Uyghur workers, according to 136-page report by Adrian Zenz and I-Lin Lin of the Washington-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
8. Albania To Ban TikTok For A Year After Fatal Youth Stabbing – D.W.
Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, announcing the ban, cited a growing concern over the influence of social media on children. The decision, which will come into force from 2025, was made after a 14-year-old student was killed during a fight near a school.
“In China, TikTok promotes how students can take courses, how to protect nature, how to keep traditions,” he said, referring to the company’s home market. “On the TikTok outside China we see only scum and mud. Why do we need this? The problem is not the children but our entire society,” Rama said.
9. Cuba: Thousands Protest Against US Trade Sanctions – D.W.
Thousands of Cubans gathered before the U.S. Embassy to protest Washington’s prevailing trade sanctions.
The demonstration, led by President Miguel Diaz-Canel and ex-leader Raul Castro, comes a few weeks before Donald Trump begins his second term as president. Protesters waved Cuban flags and chanted, “Down with the blockade,” and “We will never surrender.”
10. The Smartest Growth Stock To Buy With $1,000 Right Now – The Motley Fool
If you’re looking for opportunities within the semiconductor industry, you should look behind the scenes.
Enter Lam Research (LRCX), which might quietly be the technology sector’s top investment prospect now. The $100 billion company Lam Research makes the technological tools required to manufacture something you depend on daily. That’s technology itself. Lam’s now reliably about 4 times as profitable as it was less than a decade ago when it acquired Coventor, which laid much of the groundwork for what would eventually become its Semiverse platform.
11. Bitcoin Suddenly Surges Back To $100,000 On Huge $20 Trillion Price Prediction – Forbes
Cathie Wood, the founder of the Ark Investment Management hedge fund, reiterated her bullish bitcoin price prediction in a Bloomberg interview. She forecasted that the bitcoin price would top $1 million by 2030, giving bitcoin a market capitalization of around $20 trillion.
“[Bitcoin] is becoming even more scarce than gold,” Wood said. “The difference between gold and bitcoin is, when the gold price goes up, as it has, production goes up, the rate of increase in the supply goes up—that can not happen with bitcoin.” Over the next few weeks, bitcoin and crypto market watchers expect the bitcoin price to remain prone to wild swings.
12. New Test Might Diagnose Painful ‘Wear-And-Tear’ Arthritis – UPI Health
A new test involving the lubricating fluid inside the joint could make knee arthritis easier to detect and diagnose.
A new study shows that arthritis of the knee often is diagnosed in its late stages, after cartilage has degraded and bones are rubbing against each other in the joint. A new test involving two markers found in the synovial fluid of patients’ joints might be able to help docs suss all this out more promptly.
Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
