The German Government justified its presence in X this Friday, before Twitterdespite doubts about the suitability of this platform and after its owner, Elon Muskcalled German Chancellor Olaf Scholz a “jester”who said this Friday in Budapest that he had not even taken note of this comment from the billionaire.
“Internet entrepreneurs are not state bodies and that is why I haven’t even taken note” of the message of Musk, indicated at the press conference after the summit of the European Political Community that was held this Thursday and Friday in the Hungarian capital.
The presence of the German Executive in this social network is a recurring issue, but for now the Government believes that “it is appropriate to continue being present in X,” said the deputy spokesperson for the German Executive in a regular press conference. Christiane Hoffmann. He recalled that both the chancellor and the Government spokespersons are in X and added that social networks in general are a important medium for the Executive to explain and communicate its work.
Regarding Musk’s message on his X account after the breakup of the Government coalition in Germanyin which he wrote in German “Olaf ist ein Narr” (Olaf is a buffoon), Hoffman simply said that “in there is freedom for jesters“.
“And naturally we are concerned about what happens on social networks, especially in relation to the elections to the Bundestag” or German Lower House, which, according to the plan managed by the chancellor, should be held early next March, he added. In this sense, he indicated that the Federal Press Office has a social media monitoring program to be constantly attentive to what is happening in them and the trends that are gaining momentum.
“And we watch it very closely, in particular also the aspect of misinformation,” both on X and the rest of the other channels, he noted. He added that the German Government has taken a series of measures such as the creation of a new unit in the Ministry of the Interior, run jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Press Office and the Chancellery, to prevent foreign disinformation.