France’s Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, has called on the European Commission to take a resolute stance against Elon Musk’s alleged political meddling, following President Emmanuel Macron’s recent accusation that the tech billionaire has been interfering in elections.
On 8th January, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot appealed to the European Commission, urging the EU’s executive branch to safeguard its member states against external influences in political discourse, particularly those involving Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of the social media platform X, SpaceX, and Tesla, among other companies and brands.
“Either the European Commission applies with the greatest firmness the laws that we have given ourselves to protect our public space, or it does not do so, and then it will have to agree to give back the capacity to do so to the EU member states,” Barrot declared during an interview with France Inter. “We have to wake up.”
When pressed on his views regarding a potential ban on X in Europe, Barrot noted that legislation permits such action, explaining that the discretion to close a platform is “laid out in our laws”.
Musk, who has gained significant influence due to his close ties with US President-elect Donald Trump, is reportedly poised to take on a role in Trump’s administration when the latter takes office on 20th January. In recent weeks, Musk has been increasingly involved in the political arena, sparking outrage across Europe by targeting several prominent leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“When you take part in a government or aspire to take part in one, your opinions have a rather special value,” Barrot remarked.
Earlier this week, Macron openly criticised Musk for allegedly intervening in various elections, including Germany’s upcoming snap parliamentary vote.
Le Monde reported that, in comments made to members of France’s diplomatic service, Macron said, “10 years ago, who could have imagined it if we had been told that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the world would support a new international reactionary movement and intervene directly in elections, including in Germany.”
France isn’t alone in its concerns regarding Musk and the power wielded by social media platforms. Mounting pressure is being placed on the European Commission by various Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), who seek to enact new laws ensuring social media companies don’t cross lines in attempts to sway public opinion or incite trouble. Certain MEPs have reportedly called for an investigation into the legality of Musk’s tweets on X under the bloc’s Digital Services Act.
Adding further fuel to the fire is the news that Musk is set to participate in a livestream talk on 9th January with Germany’s far-right leader Alice Weidel.
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Photo credit: Daniel Oberhaus