Eva Marie Kogel, the editorial editor of Die Welt, Germany's leading newspaper, has resigned after the newspaper decided to publish an article by billionaire Elon Musk. In this article, Elon Musk openly praised the far-right anti-immigration party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), causing a stir in public opinion and within the newspaper.
Eva Marie Kogel, who is in charge of the commentary column, announced her resignation on social network X (formerly Twitter) on December 28: "I have always been proud to run the commentary column 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 unrest and loss of national identity."
"Despite being labeled far-right, AfD represents political realism, something many Germans feel is ignored by the political establishment," Elon Musk wrote.
Elon Musk also stressed that describing the AfD as far-right is “completely wrong”.
The publication of the article has caused a major controversy within Die Welt, with some reporters seeing it as an attempt to interfere with the early parliamentary elections scheduled for February 2025.
Jan Philipp Burgard, a veteran reporter for Die Welt, wrote a rebuttal to Elon Musk, calling the praise for the AfD “a serious mistake” and criticizing the newspaper for not labeling the party as far-right.
"Calls for elections, regardless of party affiliation, should not appear in independent media outlets," reporter Franziska Zimmerer also wrote.
Founded in 2013, the far-right AfD has attracted attention for its focus on toughening asylum laws and fighting organized crime and Islamic extremism. Its support has surged, especially after it won regional elections in Thuringia in September.
The 2025 election comes after Germany's three-party ruling coalition collapsed over budget disputes, giving the AfD a chance to gain influence.
