Angela Merkel has launched a scathing attack on Elon Musk after the former chancellor made comments about his role in Donald Trump’s administration.
In a recent interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, Merkel expressed her concern about Musk’s growing influence, stressing that his financial power, combined with his political involvement, raises serious questions about the democratic balance.
Merkel referred to Musk’s control as the owner of 60 percent of the satellites in orbit, calling it “extremely problematic”. She stressed that politics must protect the social balance between the powerful and the citizens. These statements were included in her memoirs and were widely covered by international media.
Elon Musk, known for his often provocative comments on the X platform (formerly Twitter), responded with a vulgar language game. In a post he ironically asked, “Who is this Angela Merkin person?”, making a deliberate misspelling. The word “Merkin” in English refers to a toupee that is also used for pubic hair, an insult that many users of the platform found unacceptable.
Musk’s reaction sparked new debates about his public image and behavior, especially at a time when he is reportedly pivotal to the Trump administration’s transition. Notably, Musk has already joined working groups to select new cabinet ministers and is in talks with world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The former chancellor, who has received harsh criticism in the past for her policy toward Russia and Germany’s dependence on Russian gas, said she was concerned about the influence of big businessmen like Musk on the global political scene. At the same time, he acknowledged that Donald Trump’s approach to international politics was based on an “aggressively transactional” philosophy.
Musk, who has repeatedly criticized European politicians on X, recently described Chancellor Olaf Scholz as a “fool” after the failure of his three-party governing coalition.
