Chancellor Olaf Scholz Tuesday criticised Elon Musk's support for "extreme-right positions" after the tech mogul backed Germany's far-right AfD party and sparked criticism with a gesture some likened to a Nazi salute.
"We have freedom of speech in Europe and in Germany," Scholz told the World Economic Forum when asked about Musk, who made the gesture at an event marking US President Donald Trump's inauguration.
"Everyone can say what he wants even if he is a billionaire. What we do not accept is if this is supporting extreme right positions."
Musk quickly fired back on his social media platform X, writing above a post about the chancellor's remarks: "Shame on Oaf Schitz!"
The world's richest man has sparked widespread anger in Germany with his backing for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of snap elections on February 23.
Earlier this month Musk hosted Alice Weidel, the AfD's candidate to be German chancellor, for a wide-ranging livestream chat on X.
He has previously attacked Scholz on X, labelling the chancellor a "fool" after the implosion of the centre-left leader's three-party coalition in November.
Scholz for his part earlier accused Musk of endangering "the democratic development of Europe" with his support for the far right.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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