Outgoing Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has called on the European Union to take action against the "interference of rich and powerful men in the media," amid growing concerns about Elon Musk's antics.
Speaking in the Federal Parliament on Thursday, De Croo did not explicitly mention the owner of network X, but answered questions about him and the topic of foreign interference in European elections, Belga reports.
"We are subject to constant attacks on our sovereignty," De Croo stressed in reference to Russia. They have been interfering in Western democracies for some time, but now "rich and powerful people" are also jumping on the bandwagon, he said.
In recent weeks, the US tech billionaire has expressed support for the German far-right, launched smear campaign against British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and made territorial threats against Panama and Greenland (which is part of the EU).
"Freedom of expression is close to my heart, but it cannot be an excuse for lies and manipulation," added De Croo. "I will advocate for the European Commission to act."
'Too much concentration of power'
Since taking it over in 2022, the former Twitter is eagerly used by Musk to push his political preferences. "We cannot tolerate it. The free organisation of elections is the basis of our political and social system. It must be done without interference from countries or powerful people."
De Croo stressed "we have to intervene," before adding that the EU has the legal basis to do so. "If there is too much concentration of power and it is abused, then it becomes dangerous and action must be taken," he said, addressing the European Commission.
'The people voted for major government reform' claims a post by Elon Musk's X profile account is displayed on a smartphone with Elon musk profile in the background, December 20, 2024. Credit: Belga
At the end of 2023, the European Commission opened formal proceedings against X for breaches of the European Digital Services Act (DSA), in particular for alleged non-compliance with the obligation to limit the risks associated with electoral processes.
On 24 January, the Commission will also be organising a roundtable with the German Digital Services Coordination Agency, civil society and the major platforms (including X) in the run-up to the German elections.
It was announced shortly after Musk will hold an online conversation with the AfD leader Alice Weidel on Thursday evening. In itself, there is nothing to prevent such a debate from being broadcast on X, but the European Commission will be monitoring any preferential treatment this livestream might receive on the platform, it warned on Monday.
"The DSA does not censor content. You are free to express your views. But there are limits, especially when a platform is used for this purpose," a spokesperson said. He added that the debate in the EU has not occurred yet and nothing prohibits it.
The situation is "unprecedented", the Commission spokesperson further stated, as digital platforms do not have the same obligations as traditional media, which must provide equal opportunities to all political parties during elections.
