The billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has predicted that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whom he mockingly dubbed “Oaf Schitz,” and his Social Democratic Party (SPD) will face defeat in Germany’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
Snap elections are scheduled for late February after the collapse of Scholz’s ‘traffic light’ coalition government, which disbanded over disagreements on Ukraine aid, economic reforms, and climate policy.
Earlier this month, the SPD leader lost a parliamentary vote of confidence, resulting in the government’s dissolution.
Public opinion on Scholz’s leadership has been lukewarm, with a survey by Statista revealing that 56% of Germans are dissatisfied with his performance, while 37% express approval.
Factors contributing to this perception include Germany’s economic stagnation, controversial migration policies, and a broader sentiment of governmental inefficiency.
Musk, a vocal critic of the German government, took aim at Scholz on Monday, quipping, “Chancellor Oaf Schitz or whatever his name is will lose.”
He further suggested that the right-wing, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party—praised by Musk as Germany’s “last spark of hope”—would secure a resounding victory in the elections.
The billionaire’s remarks have drawn sharp criticism from German officials, who dismissed them as “intrusive and arrogant.”
Some have accused Musk of meddling in domestic politics, a charge Chancellor Scholz addressed by emphasizing that Germany’s future “will not be decided by social media moguls” but by the “vast majority of reasonable and decent people.”
Musk’s comments come in the wake of a terrorist attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg earlier this month.
A car, driven by a Saudi asylum seeker, plowed into a crowd, killing five and injuring nearly 200.
The tragedy has fueled criticism of Scholz’s administration, particularly its migration policies, and added momentum to opposition and far-right parties ahead of the snap elections.
