Musk's EC comments ignite Transatlantic political tensions
In Brussels, there is a strong disapproval of the recent comments made by Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, regarding the European Commission. This is not the first time tensions have arisen in this relationship. Meanwhile, the billionaire's influence, who has recently been spending time with President-elect Donald Trump, is increasing.
Since 5th November, when Donald Trump won the American presidential election, Elon Musk's standing as one of the wealthiest individuals globally has been on the rise. The billionaire seems to be closely shadowing the president-elect. He listens in on discussions with key political figures and even spent Thanksgiving with him. Some people, for this reason, refer to him as the vice president and question whether he is taking over from JD Vance.
Tensions between Musk and Brussels
Musk has made a number of controversial statements that have led to a wave of criticism. He has commented on NATO (questioning "why NATO continued to exist") and Ukraine (mocking the statements of President Zelensky). Recently, he described the European Commission (EC) as an "undemocratic" institution.
Earlier, in August, Musk accused the EU of interfering in U.S. internal affairs, when the then Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, sent him an open letter. Breton cautioned against the spread of harmful content on X and imposing a political agenda in relation to the planned live broadcast of an interview with Donald Trump on the platform.
American media estimate that the billionaire spent at least £212 million on Donald Trump's campaign. His critics argue that this figure should include the sum he paid for Twitter (now X), where he and other Trump supporters disseminated a great deal of content in favour of Republicans and relentlessly criticised the Democratic candidate.
European Commission spokeswoman sharply responds to Musk's remarks: Interference in internal politics
Musk's recent comments about the EC were not - as expected - well received in Brussels. European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho stated this week that the billionaire's remarks about the "undemocratic" EC represent an attempt to meddle in the internal politics of the European Union.
Pinho, however, declined to comment on the statements of U.S. Vice President-elect JD Vance. In September, during the election campaign, on a television programme, he warned the European Commission that the U.S. might reconsider its support for NATO if it does not cease enforcing European digital regulations on platforms. Especially on X. The EC spokeswoman said that this is clear interference in our internal politics, and she was not going to address it.
