Germany's government has accused US billionaire Elon Musk of attempting to influence the upcoming February elections by publicly supporting the far-right political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD). Musk, who is known for his support of US President-elect Donald Trump, made headlines earlier this month by claiming that "only the AfD can save Germany" on his social media platform X. He further solidified his stance with an opinion piece in a German Sunday newspaper.

German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann responded to Musk's intervention by saying, "It is a fact that Elon Musk is trying to exert influence on the parliamentary election." She stressed that elections in Germany should be decided by its citizens at the ballot box and reminded that parts of the AfD are considered extremist by Germany's domestic security agency.

Musk's actions have drawn sharp criticism from various political figures. Lars Klingbeil, co-leader of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), compared Musk's influence efforts to those of Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing both men of attempting to destabilize Germany and support anti-democratic forces. Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU/CSU opposition, also condemned Musk’s actions as "interfering and presumptuous."

The controversy comes as Germany prepares for elections on February 23, following the collapse of Scholz's coalition government. The AfD currently holds second place in the polls with 19 percent, trailing the CDU/CSU at 32 percent. The SPD, which Scholz leads, is predicted to secure its worst-ever result at 16 percent.