As former German Chancellor Angela Merkel prepares for the launch of her highly anticipated memoir next week, she is making waves with candid remarks about the growing influence of tech billionaire Elon Musk in US politics under President Donald Trump. In an interview with Der Spiegel magazine, Merkel expressed “huge concern” over Musk’s outsized role in Trump’s second term administration.
Merkel Warns of Imbalance Between Corporate and Political Power
Drawing on her 16 years of experience leading Germany, Merkel emphasized the importance of maintaining a delicate equilibrium between business interests and the public good. She cautioned that the “visible alliance” forming between Trump and powerful Silicon Valley companies, with Musk at the forefront, poses an “unprecedented challenge” to democratic norms.
“If a person like him is the owner of 60% of all satellites orbiting in space, then that must be a huge concern for us along with the political issues,” Merkel stated bluntly. She argued that in a healthy democracy, “politics must determine the social balance between the powerful and ordinary citizens.”
Musk’s Expanding Influence in Trump White House
Musk, currently the world’s wealthiest individual, has taken on a central role in Trump’s transition team as the president-elect prepares for a second term. The tech mogul is slated to head a newly formed department focused on government efficiency and has been a key voice in discussions ranging from cabinet appointments to budget cuts.
Sources close to the transition reveal that Musk’s companies have already secured over $15 billion in government contracts, with that figure expected to soar in the coming years. This deepening entanglement of corporate and political power is precisely what has Merkel sounding the alarm.
Lessons from the 2008 Financial Crisis
The former chancellor pointed to the 2007-2008 global financial meltdown as a cautionary tale, noting that it was ultimately the “political sphere” that had to step in and “straighten things out” when unbridled corporate influence ran amok. She fears that the current trajectory in the US could lead to a similar imbalance, with grave consequences for democracy.
“And if this final authority is too strongly influenced by companies, whether through capital power or technological capabilities, then this is an unprecedented challenge for us all.”
Angela Merkel
Reflecting on the Trump Era and Failed Opposition
In her memoir, Merkel reportedly characterizes her dealings with Trump during his first term as akin to haggling with an aggressive real estate developer, focused more on transactional wins than longstanding alliances. She also admits to feeling “sadness” over the unsuccessful campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris to unseat him.
Looking ahead, Merkel used the interview to highlight the need for robust checks on corporate overreach as a hallmark of a free society. “In a democracy, politics is never powerless against companies,” she asserted firmly.
Musk Pushes Back on Criticism
For his part, Musk has brushed off concerns about his growing political clout, framing his efforts as a bid to disrupt calcified bureaucracies and speed up innovation. In signature brash style, he quipped on his social media platform X that he was “just trying to help make government slightly less dysfunctional.”
As Trump’s second term looms, the battle lines are being drawn between those wary of the encroaching power of tech titans like Musk and supporters eager for a shakeup of the status quo. For Merkel and other world leaders, the stakes could not be higher as they grapple with how to safeguard democratic principles in an age of ascendant corporate influence.
