Eva Marie Kogel, editor in charge of the commentary column of Die Welt, Germany's leading newspaper, submitted her resignation after the newspaper decided to publish an article by billionaire Elon Musk. In this article, Elon Musk publicly praised the anti-immigration far-right party Alternative für Deutschland ( AfidD), causing a stir in public opinion and the press and the press.
Eva Marie Kogel, head of the comments section, announced her resignation on social network X (formerly Twitter) on December 28: "I have always been proud to run the comments section of Die Welt and Welt am Sonntag. Today, Elon Musk's article appeared in Welt am Sonntag. I submitted my resignation yesterday, after the article was published."
In the article, Elon Musk called the AfD party "Germany's last hope" and criticized traditional parties for leading to "economic recession, social instability and loss of national identity".
Elon Musk wrote: "Although labelled as far-right, the AfD represents political realism, which many Germans feel is overlooked by the traditional political world."
Elon Musk also stressed that describing the AfD as far-right is completely wrong.
The posting of the article caused great controversy within Die Welt newspaper. Some reporters said that this was an act of interference in the early parliamentary election, scheduled to take place in February 2025.
Jan Philipp Burgard, a veteran reporter for Die Welt, wrote an article against Elon Musk, calling the praise of the AfD a serious mistake and criticizing the news agency for not labeling the party as far-right.
Reporter Franziska Zimmerer also wrote: "Elementary calls, regardless of party affiliation, should not appear in independent media outlets."
Founded in 2013, the far-right AfD has attracted attention for its focus on tightening asylum laws and fighting organized crime and extreme Islam. Support for the party has increased significantly, especially after winning the regional election in Thuringia in September.
The 2025 election comes after the ruling three-party coalition in Germany collapsed due to budget conflicts, giving the AfD more influence.
