Musk clashes with EU: Tensions rise over 'undemocratic' jab
In Brussels, there is strong disapproval of recent remarks made by Elon Musk, the creator of SpaceX and Tesla, about the European Commission. This is not the first instance of tension in this relationship. Meanwhile, the billionaire's influence, having spent the past few weeks with President-elect Donald Trump, is growing.
Since November 5, when Donald Trump won the American presidential election, Elon Musk's stature, as one of the world's richest people, has been increasing. The billionaire appears to be closely aligned with the president-elect. He participates in discussions with key political figures and even spent Thanksgiving with him. Because of this, some people refer to him as the vice president and wonder if he is replacing JD Vance.
Tensions between Musk and Brussels
Musk has a history of making controversial statements, which have been met with waves of criticism. He has commented on NATO (questioning "why NATO continued to exist") and Ukraine (mocking the words of President Zelensky). Most recently, he called the European Commission (EC) an "undemocratic" institution.
Earlier, in August, Musk accused the EU of meddling in U.S. internal affairs, when then-Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton sent him an open letter. Breton warned against spreading harmful content on X and imposing a political narrative in connection with a planned live broadcast of an interview with Donald Trump on the platform.
American media estimate that the billionaire spent at least $270 million on Donald Trump's campaign. Critics argue that this sum should include the amount he paid for Twitter (now X), where he and other Trump supporters disseminated a large volume of content favoring Republicans and aggressively criticized the Democratic candidate.
European Commission spokeswoman responds sharply to Musk's words: Interference in internal politics
Musk's recent comments about the EC were, unsurprisingly, not well-received in Brussels. European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho stated this week that the billionaire's remarks about the "undemocratic" EC are an attempt to interfere in the internal politics of the European Union.
Pinho, however, did not wish to comment on statements made by U.S. Vice President-elect JD Vance. In September, during the election campaign, on a television program, Vance threatened that the U.S. might withdraw its support for NATO if the European Commission does not halt the enforcement of 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.woman.
