Politicians across the European Union (EU) with a seat in the European Parliament (EP) who are evidently aligned with, and allied with the outgoing US administration, continue to twist themselves into a pretzel trying to portray X, and X owner Elon Musk himself, as an “emerging threat.”
On the one hand, there’s X as the only major global social platform that clearly puts the emphasis on free speech, and on the other there’s Musk’s involvement in the incoming Trump administration.
So that would explain why some see “threats” there – and no narrative around an “emerging” one is complete without proposals on how to fight it. One is coming from EP Foreign Affairs Committee Vice-Chair Hana Jalloul Muro, who wants to see development of “new tools.”
Muro is a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), but EP members, MEPs, of other, conservative persuasions, have decided to let their voices be heard as well – very much in praise of the X owner.
It’s shaping up to be one of those very European Union affairs, with officials engaged in back-and-forth within the bloc, and in this case, writing letters to each other – while discussing Musk.
Muro’s letter, which garnered the support of 45 MEPs, is addressed to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and reiterates the old rhetoric about online platforms potentially threatening elections in the EU “and beyond” by means of undue influence.
And so Muro would like Kallas to work on imposing more sanctions against those seen as exerting that influence – and those would appear to be “existing threats.” As for the “emerging” one, it’s X and Musk, and here the EU is in need of “new tools” to deal with them, writes Muro.
Two MEPs fewer – 43 – signed a “rival” letter, this one sent to EP President Roberta Metsola, which would like to see Musk speak at a plenary session as a digital revolution trailblazer whose presence, the signatories believe, would work in favor of “revitalizing” EU’s competitiveness around the world.
Another letter is in the works, and that one will go to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, nominating Musk for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
