Far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday defended Elon Musk, saying his criticism of European leaders was scandalous only because he is right-wing.
Meloni the leader of the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia party said Musk was simply exercising his freedom of speech as did left-wing figures including billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
Musk, another billionaire who owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social network X and is set to serve in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, has sparked a backlash in Europe after his attacks on X against German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, among others.
Asked whether this constituted “dangerous interference” at her annual conference in Rome, Meloni said it did not.
“The problem is (rather) when rich people use their resources to finance parties and associations, as well as politicians, around the world to influence the political choices of states,” she said.
“That’s not what Musk is doing. Elon Musk financed an election campaign in his country, for his candidate, in a country where, I note in passing, this is quite common,” she observed.
“But, as far as I know, Elon Musk does not finance parties, associations or politicians around the world,” she stressed. “That’s what George Soros does, for example. And yes, I consider this to be a dangerous interference in the affairs of states and their sovereignty.”
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