Rome, Italy:

Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney said Thursday that Elon Musk’s political meddling caused outrage only because he was not left-wing — and that foreigners had meddled in Italian politics for years. had been

Meloni, head of the post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, said Musk was exercising his right to free speech. Instead, he accused powerful leftists of political meddling, including billionaire financier and philanthropist George Soros.

Musk – a billionaire ally of US President-elect Donald Trump who is poised for a role in the incoming administration – has sparked anger across Europe with a series of attacks on the continent’s leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Schulz and British Prime Minister John Kerry. is Starmer

Maloney dismissed the suggestion that Musk’s comments on his X social network were “dangerous intrusions.”

“The problem is when wealthy people use their wealth to fund parties, associations and political representatives around the world to influence the political choices of nation-states,” Maloney told reporters at an annual press conference. can go.”

“That’s not what Musk is doing,” he insisted.

“Elon Musk financed a campaign in his country, through his candidate, in a system that, by the way, I would say is very common,” she said.

“But I’m not aware of Elon Musk’s financial support parties, associations or political supporters around the world.

“For example, this is what George Soros does,” Maloney alleged.

“And yes, I consider it a dangerous intrusion into the affairs of nation-states and their sovereignty,” she said.

Scorned by conservatives, and often the target of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, Soros used the wealth he amassed as a financier in the 1970s and 80s to create the Open Society Foundations (OSF), which operate around the world. I support a wide array of causes and NGOs, from good to good. Governance and democracy building programs for liberal public policy initiatives.

He has been a major donor during US elections but does not own a social media network or hold a government position.

‘Not Left Wing’

“Is the problem that Elon Musk is powerful and rich or that he is not a leftist?” asked Maloney, who called Musk a “genius.”

He described “those who until yesterday exponents of big finance — who often bet against nation states, who financed political associations — as, well, philanthropy”.

Maloney said he didn’t take any money from Musk, “unlike the people who took it from Soros.”

He has denied media reports that his administration is close to signing a large, and controversial, cybersecurity deal with Musk’s company, SpaceX.

Maloney said that she herself refrained from commenting on the domestic politics of other countries, but that she herself had come under repeated attacks.

He compared the “leftist” outrage over Musk’s vocal support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) before the election there, with the “leftist’s” silence over what he said. said there was “interference” by top German politicians in Italy’s 2022. general election.

Twice during the press conference, Maloney mistakenly called Musk Donald Trump.

Experts believe that Musk’s political actions are closely related to his economic interests.

He is an ardent supporter of Meloni — Italy’s most right-wing leader since 1945.

(Other than the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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