Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, spoke at a gathering for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on Saturday, asking people to let go of previous remorse over the country’s Nazi heritage. Newsweek asked Musk for comment via email

Why It Matters Musk gave his views virtually at an event in Halle, Germany, alongside AfD leader Alice Weidel, less than a month before the country’s February 23 general election. The AfD is polling at around 20%, a new record for the party. Musk has expressed increasing support for far-right European political groups in recent months, particularly Reform U.K. in the United Kingdom and Tommy Robinson, a British far-right activist. Just days before, Musk sparked outrage by making a gesture during Donald Trump’s inauguration that festivities that drew comparisons to a Nazi salute.

What You Should Know During his Saturday speech, Musk justified his stance on German history, saying, “Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents,” and he urged national pride.

“It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything,” Musk told the BBC. Weidel echoed his emotions by adopting President Donald Trump’s motto, “Make Germany Great Again.” Musk also restated his conviction that the February election might decide “the future of civilization.

The gathering drew about 4,500 people, with many applauding Musk’s words. Germany’s election, precipitated by a political crisis inside Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centrist coalition government, occurs while the country’s economy lags behind the rest of Europe. The AfD has grown in popularity in the run-up to the election, campaigning on an anti-immigrant and anti-EU platform. However, all of Germany’s mainstream parties have continually rejected forming coalitions with them, making their chances of forming a government slim.

What People are Saying The Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, wrote on X: “The words we heard from the main actors of the AfD rally about ‘Great Germany’ and ‘the need to forget German guilt for Nazi crimes’ sounded all too familiar and ominous.” Elon Musk’s X post, “Only@AfD can save Germany,” had over 31 million views. What Happens Next? Germany’s federal election is scheduled for February 23, with the AfD lagging in surveys. Musk’s words are expected to be a topic of public debate in the weeks running up to the vote.