BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. billionaire Elon Musk drew criticism from German politicians from the government and opposition on Sunday for an opinion piece he wrote backing the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) which they deemed "intrusive" outside influence.
The support of the AfD from Musk, who is set to serve U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's administration as an outside adviser, comes as Germans are set to vote on Feb. 23 after a coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed.
The commentary published in German in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, flagship of the Axel Springer media group, expanded on a post by Musk on social media platform X last week in which he wrote "only the AfD can save Germany" and praised the party's approach to regulation, taxes and market deregulation.
In response to the publication of his commentary, the editor of the newspaper's opinion section said on X that she had resigned.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democrats and current favourite to succeed Scholz as chancellor, said in an interview with the Funke Media Group: "I cannot recall a comparable case of interference, in the history of Western democracies, in the election campaign of a friendly country."
Merz described the commentary as "intrusive and pretentious".
Saskia Esken, co-leader of Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD), vowed fierce resistance to attempts by state actors as well as the rich and influential to influence Germany's elections.
"In Elon Musk's world, democracy and workers' rights are obstacles to more profit," Esken told Reuters. "We say quite clearly: Our democracy is defensible and it cannot be bought."
Welt's editor-in-chief designate defended the decision to publish the commentary, saying that democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of opinion, including polarising positions.
The AfD is running second in opinion polls and might be able to thwart a centre-right or centre-left majority. Germany's mainstream, more centrist parties have pledged to shun any support from the AfD at the national level.