France urges European Commission to be firm against Musk interference

PARIS: France on Wednesday urged the European Commission to protect its member states with “the greatest firmness” against interference in political debate particularly from the billionaire owner of social media platform X, Elon Musk.

“Either the European Commission applies with the greatest firmness the laws that we have given ourselves to protect our public space, or it does not do so and then it will have to agree to give back the capacity to do so to the EU member states,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio.

“We have to wake up,” he said.

Asked whether X could be banned in Europe, Barrot replied that such a mechanism to close a platform “is laid out in our laws”.

Musk, who has secured unprecedented influence thanks to his proximity to US president-elect Donald Trump, is set for a role in Trump’s administration.

He has provoked fury across Europe with a string of attacks on the continent’s leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“When you take part in a government or aspire to take part in one, your opinions have a rather special value,” said Barrot.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron accused Musk of intervening in elections, including Germany’s snap legislative polls next month.

“Ten years ago, who could have imagined it if we had been told that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the world would support a new international reactionary movement and intervene directly in elections, including in Germany,” Macron said in a speech to French ambassadors.