Dec 20 (Reuters) - U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, set to join President-elect Donald Trump's administration as an outside adviser, waded into Germany's election campaign on Friday, calling the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) the country's saviour.

The AfD is running second in opinion polls and might be able to thwart either a centre-right or centre-left majority, but Germany's mainstream, more centrist parties have vowed to shun support from the AfD at national level.

Europe's leading power is expected to vote on Feb. 23 after a centre-left coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed.

"Only the AfD can save Germany," Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform, X.

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Alice Weidel
@Alice_Weidel

Dear @elonmusk,
Thank you so much for your note. The Alternative for Germany is indeed the one and only alternative for our country; our very last option. I wish you and President Donald #Trump all the best for the upcoming tenure! And also, I wish you and all the American people Merry #Christmas and a Happy New Year. #AfD #DeshalbAfD #Musk

6:56 AM · Dec 20, 2024

A September 2017 report by Die Zeit claimed that Weidel had illegally hired a Syrian refugee to do housework at her home in Switzerland. The report also alleged that the asylum seeker did not have a written work contract, nor were there invoices for her work. Weidel responded in a tweet that the Die Zeit report was "fake news" and "false" and Weidel's lawyer stated that Weidel had a Syrian stay at her home as a guest but not as a worker.[36][37][38]

In April 2017, Weidel railed against political correctness, claiming that it belonged in the "dustbin of history".[33] In response, on 27 April, TV presenter Christian Ehring of the satire program extra 3 addressed this, saying "That's right! Let's put an end to political correctness. The Nazi slut is right. Was this incorrect enough? I hope so!"[33] Weidel sued the channel seeking to forbid re-airing of the program, and on 17 May the Hamburg District Court ruled against her, stating that a public figure must tolerate exaggerated criticism.[34] Weidel disagreed with the decision and promised to bring it to the Oberlandesgericht (Higher Regional Court).[35] As of September 2017, no further action had taken place.[33]

The Switzerland-based property billionaire Henning Conle supported AfD. He donated a total of 132,000 euros by means of straw men for the 2017 federal election campaign of Alice Weidel. Conle disguised his donation from Switzerland in 18 tranches.[22][23] The AfD had to pay the Bundestag a high fine for this donation, but Weidel and three other officials went unpunished.[23]