European leaders turn on Elon Musk over attempts to sway voters amid Keir Starmer row
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European leaders have criticised Elon Musk for attempting to influence politics overseas, with French president Emmanuel Macron suggesting he was attempting to “intervene directly in elections”. Mr Musk, the world’s richest man, has been locked in a row with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, after he accused him of being "complicit in the crimes" of child sex offenders during his tenure as chief prosecutor.
Sir Keir has fought back, accusing Mr Musk and others of "spreading lies and misinformation", and also saying "a line has been crossed" by the businessman when he described Home Office minister Jess Phillips as a "rape genocide apologist". On Monday, European leaders also added to criticism of the X social media site owner, with France’s Emmanuel Macron saying: “Who would have thought, if we had been told that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the world would support the new international reactionary movement and intervene directly in elections.".
In Norway, the country’s premier Jonas Gahr Store said he was also concerned about Mr Musk’s interventions in foreign politics. Norway is due to have elections later this year. He told NRK, the country’s public broadcaster: “I find it worrying that a man with enormous access to social media and huge economic resources involves himself so directly in the internal affairs of other countries.”.
