First there was Tesla-Scham, German for the embarrassment of owning one of Elon Musk’s electric vehicles. Now a backlash is brewing against his satellite-internet system Starlink.
The billionaire’s abrasive interventions into politics and his outsized role in shaping US policy in his capacity as senior adviser to President Donald Trump is having a real-life impact on his businesses, prompting governments from Italy to Poland to reconsider their dependence on his technology.
Musk’s endorsement of the nationalist, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party saw a collapse in Tesla sales in the country where they are made just outside Berlin.
In spite of her friendship with Musk, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is getting cold feet about a potential Starlink deal given how the US is pulling away from its commitment to European security.
Poland is not the only US ally feeling queasy after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s berating in the Oval Office. Warsaw pays for Ukraine’s Starlink terminals, and was offended by Musk’s weekend comments that the “entire front line would collapse” if his network was switched off. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski suggested an alternative supplier might be necessary.
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