Scholz says elections will not be decided by social media owners
German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has said that “owners of social media channels” should not decide the country’s upcoming snap elections. This comes as Elon Musk endorsed the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).
In a New Year’s Eve address recorded for TV and made available before broadcast, Scholz said that German citizens are the only ones who should decide “where Germany goes from here” for the general election on, 23rd February.
“It will not be decided by the owners of social media channels,” Scholz said. “In our debates, one can be forgiven for sometimes thinking the more extreme an opinion is, the more attention it will garner.” The fate of German society, he added “will be up to the vast majority of reasonable and decent people”.
While he didn’t mention Musk or X specifically, he urged the country’s citizens to resist any manipulation and stand up for democracy. “After all, it’s customary to make wishes on New Year’s Eve. What I wish for is that we will not let ourselves be played off each other,” he said.
There had been a surge of misinformation, according to Scholz, on social media following the Christmas market attack in Magdeburg on, 20th December.
“No small number of these rumours and conjectures, though, have meanwhile been debunked. These things divide and weaken us,” he said. “This is not good for our country.”
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