Among the issues that pushed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to make a quick visit to Palm Beach, in the residence of Mar al Lago, in Florida, at Donald Trump’s “court”, there was also the dossier, which has been on hold for some time, of the five-year contract with SpaceX, a company that is part of Elon Musk’s universe, to have secure encrypted services in telecommunications. The project would have already been approved by the Italian secret services and the Ministry of Defense, all that was missing was the signature of the tycoon, the second or first richest man on Earth. And it would be the largest project of its kind in Europe. A nice gift for Musk, a disturbing deal for Italy, given that the South African naturalized American tycoon, an ally of Trump, is one of the most threatening characters of our time from a political point of view. In fact, “X” is also the acronym of one of the planetary social networks with which it influences electoral campaigns all over the world, often distorting them with fake news. And when we talk about “influences” we never talk about moderate political parties, but about populist, sovereignist and ultimately Nazi formations, so as to create a sort of “reactionary international” that gives shivers to those who believe in the European democratic process that has brought peace – and continues to maintain it – for over 80 years.
Where to start from? From British Prime Minister Keir Sturmer, hit by a wave of disinformation? The Tesla owner’s social networks, in addition to supporting far-right figures, such as the well-known xenophobic activist Tommy Robinson, for a change, also spread false news accusing him of being complicit in the sexual abuse of minors of Pakistani origin in the United Kingdom during his tenure as Director of Crown Prosecution. In recent months he had already accused the Starmer government of being “tyrannical” for the repression of the anti-migrant “riots” in August, evoking “an inevitable civil war” in the United Kingdom; and more recently he has targeted the British justice system for the detention of the right-wing extremist Tommy Robinson or, again, he has denounced Labour’s economic policy as a disincentive to international investments in England. All attacks that risk deteriorating that special relationship of friendship between the USA and the United Kingdom which dates back to the times of the Second World War and of which Churchill (of an English father and an American mother) was the living symbol.
Shameless lying as a political weapon. As can be seen, the tycoon is not too subtle and does not hesitate to put into practice the old Volterian adage that all defamers in the world know: “Slander, slander, something will remain.”
Then there is open support in Germany for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), where the alternative would be a pro-Nazi government, peppered with fierce criticism of the current Chancellor Scholz. All propaganda and disinformation actions that fit into a broader context of concern on the part of European leaders, including French President Emmanuele Macron.
«What would have happened», asked the French president, «if, ten years ago, they had told us that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the world would have supported a new reactionary international movement and would have intervened directly in the elections, even in Germany? Who would have imagined it?”. A concern that even extends to Norway: Labor Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has expressed concern about Musk’s influence on Europe’s internal political affairs. Norway will hold elections in September, and Stoere’s Labor Party is currently trailing the right in the polls.
Here, however, Musk is a nice entrepreneur with whom we can procure business, invite young people from Fratelli d’Italia, like Atreju, to parties, and cordially sympathize with gala dinners and ceremonies like that of Global Citizen Award 2024 of the Atlantic Council in New York last September.
Maybe this is why Trump likes Giorgia Meloni so much and has been defined as an extraordinary bridge between the United States and Europe? A bridge to convey what?
