Spain’s Sanchez says Musk incites hatred, warns against fascism in Europe

Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s prime minister, accused Elon Musk of being the “international reactionary movement” and warned that the far-right might experience a resurgence in European politics.

Musk, who is set for a role as an adviser in United States President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, has provoked fury across Europe in recent weeks with a string of attacks on the continent’s leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Musk also made a splash in Spanish culture on Sunday by making a comment about a report that claimed foreigners were primarily responsible for rape convictions in Spain’s Catalonian region.

Sanchez, who presided over an event in Madrid on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of Francisco Franco’s death, accused Musk of leading an “international reactionary” movement that “openly attacks our institutions, stirs up hatred, and openly calls for the support of the heirs of Nazism in Germany’s upcoming elections.”

Sanchez warned that “the fascism we thought we had left behind is now the third political force in Europe” and that Musk, who he did not name, was in favor of the far right. Musk also mentioned that “the richest man on the planet.”

Musk made the comments ahead of the country’s February 23 snap elections by backing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

The billionaire has also urged the release of Tommy Robinson, a far-right activist in the UK who is serving an 18-month sentence for contempt of court, from jail. Starmer is also currently serving an 18-month term for contempt of court.

EU weighs response

The European Union is grappling with how to respond to Musk’s perceived interference. The European Commission is being pressured by some European governments to use its legal arsenal.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter-radio earlier on Wednesday that the European Commission should consider whether to grant EU member states the ability to do so in accordance with the laws that already exist.

The issue is putting the EU’s willingness to confront Musk head-on and risk provoking the incoming Trump administration as well as the effectiveness of the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which regulates the operations of social media platforms in the EU.

A Commission representative stated this week that the DSA had previously proven to be a successful tool for reducing risks posed by popular social media platforms and that it had been made as a political decision to “fuel the debate” rather than directly respond to Musk’s tweets.

After a deadly car-ramming attack in Germany, Musk called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz an “incompetent fool” who ought to step down. Musk will speak with Alice Weidel, the head of AfD, on Thursday while using his platform.

Scholz has reacted by calling for cool. “Don’t feed the troll”, he told German weekly Stern on January 4.

Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron criticised Musk.

Who would have believed it ten years ago if been informed that the owner of one of the biggest social networks in the world, including in Germany, directly intervened in elections? he said.

Additionally, Musk has consistently criticized Starmer and his government in the UK, most recently for a child sex abuse scandal ten years ago.