All other German parties see the far-right AfD as a threat to democracy, but the anti-immigration party has a powerful friend abroad: Elon Musk, the loudhailer voice of Team Trump.

"Let's go, guys, let's go -- fight for a great future for Germany!" the tech billionaire shouted via video link at a recent campaign rally of the Alternative for Germany (AfD).

"It's good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything," he told the jubilant crowd in Halle in the party's ex-communist eastern heartland.

While mainstream Berlin has reacted with a shudder to the new leadership in Washington, the AfD has cheered its ideological allies in the fight against migrants, wind farms, gender politics and all things "woke".

As Europe's top economy careens towards February 23 polls, Musk has weighed in on the campaign with volleys of online crossfire.

As well as backing the AfD, the man behind SpaceX, Tesla and X has also trolled centre-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz with insults such as "fool" and "Oaf Schitz".

"You must vote for change," Musk told Germans in a streamed conversation with the party's top........

© International Business Times