Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has expressed concern over the interference of American billionaire Elon Musk in the democratic processes and internal affairs of other countries.
In an interview with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) on Monday, Støre said: «I am concerned that a person who has enormous access to social media and significant financial resources is so directly interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. This is not how relations between democratic countries and their allies should be».
Støre made the remarks during the political program Politisk kvarter in response to a question about Musk's concerns about possible interference in Norway's parliamentary elections scheduled for September.
The concerns are sparked by Musk's recent statements regarding countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy.
Støre stressed the need for a single, coordinated response to such interference.
«If we were to see this in Norway, I hope and assume that the entire Norwegian political spectrum would warn against it and distance themselves from such actions», – he noted.
French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Elon Musk on Monday during a meeting with ambassadors at the Elysee Palace.
«Who would have believed it if we had been told ten years ago that the owner of one of the largest social networks would support a new reactionary international and directly interfere in elections, for example in Germany», – Macron said.
Musk has previously supported the far-right German party «Alternative for Germany» (AfD). Musk has repeatedly spoken out in support of the German far-right on his X account, and at the end of December published a scandalous column in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, in which he called the AfD «the last hope» for Germany.
In December, after the terrorist attack in Magdeburg, Musk called Chancellor Olaf Scholz an «incompetent fool» and said that he should resign immediately.
Scholz ignored Musk's personal attacks. But on Saturday, at a press conference, he said that Musk supports far-right forces not only in Germany, which is categorically unacceptable.
«What is new is that it is a global media entrepreneur. What is also new is that it is unclear how public opinion is shaped by algorithms», – Scholz said.
Politicians in Britain are also concerned about Musk's behavior. On Monday, the owner of X published a poll on «whether America should free the people of Britain from their tyrannical government».
In the past week alone, Musk has called for the imprisonment of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the release of far-right activist Tommy Robinson from prison, and the replacement of Trump ally Nigel Farage as leader of the Reform UK party, Bloomberg reports.
After that, senior officials from Britain's three largest parties privately urged Trump allies to reconsider their relationship with Musk, the agency writes.
Meanwhile, Cammy Badenoch, the leader of Britain's opposition Conservative Party, calls himself «great fan of Musk, saying he was making a “fantastic” contribution to free speech.
Musk has pledged a significant donation to the right-wing Reform UK, which has just five members in the 650-seat UK parliament and is led by Nigel Farage.
On Friday, Farage called Musk a “hero” in a speech to party members, but 48 hours later Musk wrote in X that Farage “doesn't have what it takes” and that the party needs a new leader.