France urged the European Union to use its laws more robustly to defend itself against outside interference and Spain's prime minister lambasted Elon Musk on Wednesday, as the U.S. tech billionaire steps up his comments about European politics.

Elon Musk praised the co-leader of the German party Alternative for Germany (AfD) as “very reasonable” on Thursday, urging Germans to vote for the far-right party in what is the latest high-profile sign of the tech billionaire’s involvement in European politics.

Musk's escalating criticism and mocking of European leaders and governments, which he has done repeatedly via X, the social media platform he owns, has sparked a backlash from