LobbyControl criticizes X-conversation between Alice Weidel and Elon Musk

According to the AfD, AfD leader Alice Weidel and billionaire Elon Musk are expected to meet for a discussion on Musk’s Platform X on January 9th. A publicly accessible discussion in a so-called X-Space – a format for live discussions – is planned for 7 p.m. that day, Weidel’s spokesman Daniel Tapp told the German Press Agency in Berlin.

The non-governmental organization LobbyControl has now expressed suspicion that US entrepreneur Musk’s commitment to the German AfD could be an illegal party donation. Musk has made it clear that he wants to strengthen the AfD, and he is also using resources from his Platform X to do so, LobbyControl explained in Berlin on Wednesday.

Musk’s conversation with Weidel on Thursday will “probably be played out much more widely” on X than contributions from regular users. “In this respect, one can certainly speak of political advertising here, because Platform X normally sells such a reach for a lot of money,” wrote the organization.

According to the party law, which was reformed at the beginning of 2024, election advertising by third parties is considered a party donation. In addition, party donations from non-EU countries are prohibited – Musk and his Platform X are based in the USA.

“Elon Musk’s brazen interventions in the US and German election campaigns are a wake-up call for Germany and Europe,” warned Aurel Eschmann from LobbyControl. “We need instruments to prevent American election campaign intervention in this country.”

The introduction of a cap on party donations is overdue. Such a donation cap would be an effective means of preventing circumvention of the ban on donations from outside the EU. In a resilient democracy, it should not be possible to buy your way into politics with money.

The Musk case shows “it is abundantly clear that democracy is not compatible with the power of the super-rich, who influence and shape our societies according to their personal ideas and interests,” explained Eschmann.

Two days after the joint conversation with Musk, Weidel will be officially elected as candidate for chancellor at an AfD party conference in Riesa. “The central topics will be freedom of expression and the AfD’s ideas for a sustainable Germany,” said Tapp about the planned online meeting with Musk.

An Later, the billionaire of an influencer close to the AfD, who had also commented on the debate, said: “Wait until Alice and I have an X-Spaces conversation. Then they’ll lose their minds” – accompanied by two smiley smileys with tears.

Weidel herself shared Musk’s comment on

Your spokesman had spoken of regular exchanges between the Weidel team and the Musk team. The Tesla boss became interested in the AfD program a few months ago. There has not yet been a personal phone call or meeting between Weidel and him.

The spokesman rejected a rumor that was also widespread at X that Weidel could also be in Washington at the inauguration of the future US President Donald Trump on January 20th. This is not planned due to the scheduling situation in the federal election campaign.

According to its own information, LobbyControl is a non-profit association that promotes transparency, democratic control and clear limits on influencing politics and the public in Germany and Europe.

Note: This article first appeared on January 3rd. It has been supplemented and updated with information from LobbyControl.