Right after news broke about Elon Musk’s appointment to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency under Donald Trump’s administration, there were many positive reactions, including from my family in Beijing. However, on November 22, I came across an article in The Guardian titled Angela Merkel Expresses ‘Huge Concern’ at Elon Musk’s US Government Role: Former German Chancellor Says Politics Should Govern the Social Balance Between Powerful and Ordinary Citizens.
In the article, Merkel frames Musk’s new role as a significant challenge to democracy, particularly under the Trump administration. She highlights the risks of unchecked corporate power and its potential to erode the balance between governments and citizens. Here are the key takeaways from her perspective.
Concerns About Musk’s Role in Governance
Merkel criticizes Musk’s vast corporate influence, pointing to his ownership of 60% of all satellites in orbit as a troubling concentration of power. She warns that such dominance could undermine politics’ “final authority” to regulate societal interests, which she sees as critical for addressing crises like the 2007-08 financial meltdown.
Trump’s Transactional Leadership
Merkel describes Trump as overly transactional in his approach to governance, shaped by his background as a real estate developer. She notes his fascination with authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin and expresses unease about his alliance with powerful business figures like Musk.
Democracy and Corporate Power
Merkel emphasizes that a cornerstone of democracy is its ability to check corporate influence. She sees Musk’s entanglement in public governance—despite his companies benefiting from substantial public funding—as a dangerous precedent. For Merkel, this blurring of lines between private enterprise and public authority risks weakening democratic institutions.
The Role of Social Media
Merkel highlights the dangers posed by platforms like Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) in amplifying divisive narratives. She cites the rise of far-right movements such as Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) as a cautionary example. Political systems, she argues, must counterbalance the influence of such platforms to preserve social cohesion.
“There is now a visible alliance between him with the big companies from Silicon Valley which have enormous power through capital,” Merkel observed.
A Marxist Perspective
From a Marxist lens, this article could be read as a critique of late-stage capitalism, where private capital dominates and undermines democratic institutions. A Marxist might argue that Musk’s growing influence is not an isolated issue but a natural consequence of capitalist structures concentrating wealth and power. Addressing such systemic imbalances, they would contend, requires more than isolated reforms—it demands fundamental change.
Merkel’s critique serves as a stark reminder of the delicate balance required between corporate influence and democratic governance. In an era where private capital wields unprecedented power, her concerns underscore the urgent need for political systems to assert their role as guardians of democracy, social equity and stability. The challenge lies not only in regulating such influence but in reaffirming the principles that sustain democracy itself.