Elon Musk and X: Jan Rau as an expert on the extreme right at ‚Le Monde‘

DCID member Jan Rau is quoted as an expert on right-wing extremism on social media in an article in the French newspaper ‘Le Monde’ on the influence of far-right accounts on Elon Musk’s perspective on Europe.

The article sheds light on how Elon Musk’s perception of Europe is heavily influenced by a small group of far-right accounts on the platform X (formerly Twitter). These accounts, with which Musk regularly interacts, disseminate selectively curated information, often with an anti-migrant and anti-Islamic focus. These accounts include ‘RadioGenoa’, ‘Peter Sweden’ and other far-right influencers who present European events in English from a strongly ideological perspective.

DCID member Jan Rau is quoted as an expert on the extreme right and social media on the case of Naomi Seibt, who supported Musk, among others, in organizing a public conversation with Alice Weidel (AfD). “She is one of the few personalities in this milieu who first gained her audience on an international level. The vast majority of important figures on the German or Austrian far right first became known locally and through publications in German, such as [the co-founder of the Austrian Identitarian Movement] Martin Sellner,” Rau told ‘Le Monde’.