European leaders hit back at Musk's posts

The leaders of major countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, France and Germany, have expressed concerns over billionaire Elon Musk's attempts to influence Europe's internal affairs via social media.

With increasing frequency, Musk has been posting his opinions on European politics, including endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, and running a poll titled, "America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government. Yes/No".

Without naming Musk directly, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hit back over the billionaire's comments on Britain's handling of major sex abuse cases a decade ago and the riots fueled by online misinformation last year.

When riots broke out last summer following an incident in which three young girls were killed, and after which misinformation about the attacker's identity was spread on social media, Musk posted that "civil war is inevitable".

Musk has recently called to dissolve the UK Parliament over sexual offenses committed by organized gangs around the country more than a decade ago, when Starmer was director of public prosecutions.

"A line has been crossed," Starmer said on Monday. "Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and as wide as possible, they're not interested in victims — they are interested in themselves."

Also on Monday, France's President Emmanuel Macron hinted in a speech that Musk is meddling in European politics and backing a "reactionary movement" across the world.

"Ten years ago, who could have imagined it if we had been told that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the world would support a new international reactionary movement and intervene directly in elections, including in Germany," Macron said in a wide-ranging foreign policy speech at the Elysee Palace.

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store also expressed concern about Musk commenting on the internal affairs of countries in Europe.

Store told Norwegian national public broadcaster NRK: "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."

Germany is facing federal elections in February, following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition government at the end of last year, with Musk announcing plans for an online discussion with AfD leader Alice Weidel.

Scholz told the weekly publication Stern he had no interest in engaging with Musk.

"I don't believe in courting Mr Musk's favor. I'm happy to leave that to others," he said. "The rule is: don't feed the troll."