Elon Musk’s immense and largely unchecked power on X, formerly Twitter, has transformed him into a pivotal figure in European political discourse. Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has significantly cultivated and amplified the voices of hard-right politicians and insurgent activists across the continent, wielding an influence that transcends traditional media channels.
The mechanism of this influence is remarkably direct and potent. An endorsement, a simple retweet, or even a direct reply from Musk can catapult lesser-known figures into the global spotlight, leading to millions of views and tens of thousands of new followers almost instantaneously, as evidenced by a comprehensive analysis of public data. This direct access to a vast audience bypasses conventional journalistic gatekeepers.
This phenomenon has ignited considerable concern within Europe regarding potential foreign interference. Unlike historical anxieties centered on established geopolitical adversaries, the current apprehension points towards influence originating from the United States, specifically through the unprecedented reach of an individual like Elon Musk and his social media platform.
An in-depth investigation examined over 20,000 posts collected over a three-year period from a curated sample of eleven European figures. These individuals were selected for their significant interactions with Musk and their consistent promotion of hard-right political or social agendas, offering compelling case studies on how direct engagement from Musk can dramatically impact local influencers.
Since taking over Twitter in October 2022, Elon Musk’s personal follower count has surged to over 220 million, a growth rate unparalleled among other major accounts. This exponential expansion has global ramifications, effectively turning his X account into an amplified megaphone for a growing global coalition of nationalistic parties and individuals united by common causes such as halting migration and promoting an absolutist vision of free speech.
Several figures amplified by Musk have faced controversies in their home countries. Examples include Tommy Robinson, an anti-immigrant agitator in the U.K. who faced legal issues, and Bjoern Hoecke, a German politician convicted for using a Nazi slogan. Others include Alice Weidel, a leader of Germany’s Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party; Eva Vlaardingerbroek, a Dutch far-right influencer; Naomi Seibt, a German climate skeptic; and Rubén Pulido from Spain’s populist Vox party.
The impact of Musk’s engagement is quantifiable and stark. Accounts within his orbit collectively gained roughly five million followers from October 2022 through January of this year, with many experiencing triple-digit percentage increases in their follower counts. Furthermore, on days Musk interacted with a post, the associated accounts routinely saw their views soar, often by two to four times their usual daily viewership, with some experiencing boosts thirty to forty times higher.
Specific instances underscore this powerful dynamic. Naomi Seibt, after nearly 600 pings, finally engaged with Musk in June 2024. Since then, over 50 interactions from Musk have resulted in her gaining more than 320,000 followers, with her posts seeing 2.6 times more views on interaction days. Similarly, Alice Weidel’s daily audience on X surged from 230,000 to 2.2 million on days Musk engaged with her content, notably after a livestream, preceding her party’s best electoral showing.
This influence extends to high-profile political figures such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose engagement with Musk yields less dramatic but still significant boosts. Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy’s hard-right League party and now vice premier, also saw average views more than four times higher on days Musk interacted with his account, subsequently advocating for Starlink contracts and resisting X content regulation. Even a social media influencer like Fidias Panayiotou from Cyprus leveraged a viral embrace with Musk into a surprise European Parliament seat, where he champions X and challenges EU bureaucracy.
