Elon Musk’s Verbal Attacks on German Top Politicians May Strain Relations with Washington, Warns SPD’s Rolf Mützenich
In an interview with the Spiegel, Rolf Mützenich, the leader of the SPD’s Bundestag faction, warned that Elon Musk’s verbal attacks on Germany’s top politicians could strain relations between Berlin and Washington.
Mützenich criticized the billionaire for his insults against German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Musk had called Steinmeier an “undemocratic tyrant” and predicted a electoral defeat for Scholz, also labeling him a “narr” and “Oaf Schitz”. Additionally, Musk expressed his support for the far-right AfD party, calling it “the last spark of hope for this country”.
Mützenich accused Musk, a prominent ally of US President Donald Trump, of “crossing the line between friendly states” and defended Steinmeier, stating that as the head of state, Steinmeier is a symbol of Germany’s sovereignty.
He urged Berlin to clarify whether Musk’s repeated “disrespect, defamation, and interference” align with the new Trump administration’s stance.
German officials had previously suggested that Musk’s comments might be an attempt to influence the upcoming federal elections in February, which the ruling coalition of Scholz had recently failed to agree on due to disagreements over Ukraine aid, economic reforms, and climate policy, leading to a no-confidence vote and the dissolution of the parliament.
During his first term, Trump criticized Germany’s significant trade surplus with the US, threatened tariffs on German cars, and accused Berlin of not meeting the 2% NATO defense spending target, describing Germany as overly dependent on military support from the US. Trump also rejected the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, citing concerns that it would increase the EU’s energy dependence on Moscow, which was sabotaged in 2022 following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.