Instead, she accused powerful people on the left of political interference, including billionaire financier and philanthropist George Soros.
“But I am not aware of Elon Musk financing parties, associations or political exponents around the world.
‘Not left-wing’ “Is the problem that Elon Musk is influential and rich or that he is not left-wing?”
She slammed “those who until yesterday described exponents of big finance — who often bet against nation states, who finance exponents of political associations — as fine, as philanthropy”.
Musk’s political initiatives are intimately linked to his economic interests, experts suggest.
Musk was expressing his right to free speech, according to Meloni, the leader of the post-Fascist Brothers of Italy party. Rather, she accused prominent left-leaning figures, such as billionaire philanthropist and financier George Soros, of meddling in politics.
A billionaire supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump, Musk is expected to play a part in the incoming administration. His attacks on European leaders, such as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have incited anger throughout the continent.
“Dangerous interference” was the term used to describe Musk’s remarks on his X social network, but Meloni rejected this idea.
Meloni told reporters at an annual press conference, “The issue is when rich people use their resources to finance political parties, associations, and exponents worldwide to influence the political choices of nation states.”.
“That’s not what Musk is doing,” she emphasized.
According to her, “Elon Musk funded his candidate’s election campaign in his nation, in a system in which, by the way, I would point out that this is quite common.”.
However, I am not aware of Elon Musk funding political figures, organizations, or parties globally.
“George Soros does this, for instance,” Meloni claimed.
“And yes, I think that’s dangerous meddling in nation states’ affairs and sovereignty,” she stated.
Hated by conservatives and frequently the focus of anti-Semitic plots, Soros used his fortune as a financier in the 1970s and 1980s to establish the Open Society Foundations (OSF), which fund a wide range of causes and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world, from liberal public policy initiatives to programs promoting good governance and democracy.
He has contributed significantly to US elections, but he is neither a government official nor the owner of a social media network.
“Not left-wing”.
As a “genius,” Meloni asked, “Is the problem that Elon Musk is wealthy and powerful or that he is not left-wing?”.
She attacked “those who, until yesterday, described big finance proponents—who frequently wager against nation states, who fund political association proponents—as fine, as philanthropy.”.
Meloni claimed that, “unlike those who have taken it from Soros,” she had not accepted any money from Musk.
According to media reports, her government is about to sign a huge and contentious cybersecurity agreement with Musk’s company SpaceX. She has refuted these claims.
Meloni claimed that although she had been attacked numerous times, she avoided making personal remarks about the internal politics of other nations.
She compared the “left-wing” silence surrounding what she claimed was “interference” by prominent German politicians in Italy’s general election in 2022 with the “left-wing” outrage surrounding Musk’s outspoken support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of elections there.
On two occasions during the press conference, Meloni accidentally called Musk Donald Trump.
Experts contend that Musk’s economic interests and political initiatives are closely related.
He is a fervent supporter of Meloni, who has been the most right-wing leader of Italy since 1945.
© 2025, AFP.
