• Thierry Breton, former French European Commissioner for Digital Affairs, warned that German federal elections could be annulled if conducted improperly, citing a precedent set in Romania.
• Breton emphasized that existing laws are robust enough to deter unlawful activities, but stressed the need for authorities to take stringent actions if CEO of Tesla and X Elon Musk were to break the law by supporting the extremist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
• Breton acknowledged Musk’s right to free speech but warned against abusing it to interfere with democratic processes, stating that European laws on digital services must be enforced to protect the integrity of electoral processes.
• The former commissioner urged authorities to stay vigilant and enforce existing laws to safeguard European democracies, emphasizing the importance of upholding democratic principles and the possibility of fines and bans for those who circumvent these laws.
• Musk and Breton engaged in a heated online exchange. Musk referred to Breton as “the tyrant of Europe,” while Breton denied accusations of EU mechanisms to nullify elections and accused Musk of lying about attempts to stop his interview with the AfD leader.

Former French European Commissioner for Digital Affairs Thierry Breton has openly admitted to interfering in the Romanian presidential election and has warned that similar action may be taken in Germany, should they be conducted improperly.

In a recent Radio Monte Carlo (RMC) interview on Jan. 9, Breton raised the possibility of annulment for the German federal elections. Breton emphasized the need for calm and stressed that existing laws are robust enough to deter unlawful activities.

However, he also warned that if Musk, the CEO of Tesla and X, were to break the law, especially by supporting the extremist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the authorities would need to take stringent actions. Breton cited the precedent of Romania, where presidential elections were canceled following a controversial TikTok campaign by candidate Calin Georgescu, as a possible model for Germany. (Related: Efforts to ban Alternative for Germany Party face hurdles as political landscape evolves.)

“If, on the other hand, the Tesla and X boss breaks the law, especially in Germany, by supporting the ‘extremist’ AfD party, the former European Commissioner believes that it will be necessary for the authorities to act as in Romania, where the presidential elections were canceled,” the website of the French television BFMTV wrote.

Breton acknowledged Musk’s right to free speech, stating “Freedom of expression is a fundamental element in Europe.” However, he cautioned that this right must not be abused to interfere with democratic processes. “The law exists, and it must be enforced to protect our democracies,” Breton emphasized.

The former commissioner stressed that Musk’s support for the AfD and his controversial interview with the party’s leader, Alice Weidel, raise serious concerns about potential breaches of European laws on digital services. He then urged authorities to stay vigilant and enforce existing laws to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.

“If they don’t, there are fines and the possibility of a ban,” Breton said. “We are equipped to enforce these laws to protect our democracies in Europe.”

He concluded by reiterating the importance of upholding democratic principles, stating, “Let’s stay calm and enforce the laws in Europe, when they risk being circumvented and if not enforced, could lead to interference. They did it in Romania and, obviously, it will have to be done, if necessary, in Germany as well.”

Breton clashes with Musk over “tyrant” slur and EU interference claims

These statements from Breton have sparked a more heated online exchange between him and Musk.

A few days after the interview with Breton, Musk shared a clip on X, referring to Breton as “the tyrant of Europe.” He also added, “Man, American ‘foreign interference’ is the only reason you aren’t speaking German or Russian today,” in reference to the American landings in France during World War II.

In response to Musk’s claims, Breton wrote on X, “Tyrant of Europe? Wow! But No Elon Musk: the EU has NO mechanism to nullify any election anywhere in EU. Not at all what is said in the video below related only to the application of the DSA and its moderation obligations. Lost in translation… or another fake news?”

Breton also addressed Musk’s false claims that the EU had tried to stop his interview with the AfD leader, saying, “He is lying like hell. Nobody tried to stop him from having a conversation with Trump, nobody is trying to stop him having one in Germany.”