By Eric Utter
Friedrich Merz is the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union and the frontrunner for Chancellor of Germany, according to polls in the lead-up to this month’s election.
Merz recently said, via an interview with the Wall Street Journal, that Elon Musk must face “consequences” for daring to voice support for the Alternative for Germany party (AfD), a conservative political rival.
Merz stated: “What happened in this election campaign cannot go unchallenged.”
He added that the response could be political or legal. He also left open the possibility of going after Tesla, which has a gigafactory in Berlin, saying, “I am deliberately leaving the consequences open for now.”
The CDU leader opined that Musk needs to be “investigated” for his remarks, stating:
”The fact that someone from outside Europe intervenes in a national election campaign in this way is new.”
Yet the EU and its member states routinely intervene in other nation’s elections.
Just recently, the Romanian election results were overturned/annulled after a nationalist won the most votes, due in part to pressure from Western Europe.
And opining isn’t “intervening.”
It says a lot — and nothing good — about Merz and those like him that they want to quell dissent and silence the speech of any who deign to disagree with them.
Public and private figures alike have opined on elections around the world since time immemorial. Threatening to investigate and sue those who dare to oppose you, and to punish the companies they may run, proves that you, not them, are the threat to democracy.
This kind of thuggish and intolerant behavior is especially problematic in Germany, given its history.
While Merz flouts possible “consequences” for Musk, his repressionist attitude should have “consequences” for himself and his party. Consequences that should redound to their detriment and AfD’s benefit.
Especially in light of the most recent European terror attack, this one in Munich, Germany. An Afghan migrant asylum seeker rammed his car through a crowd of protesters on Feb. 13, killing a woman and injuring 30, including a child who is in critical condition. The migrant, who, you guessed it, has a history of multiple arrests for theft and drug dealing, fought with police after the deadly attack.
Perhaps, instead of assailing a man who has arguably done more to advance civilization than any other, Merz should consider espousing policies that would actually protect his own nation’s citizens from violent alien criminals.
If he does not (and he likely won’t), Germans would be well advised to bring on the other party.