Far-right lawmakers nominate Musk for top EU rights award

FRANCE 24

26 September 2024 at 9:49 am·1-min read

Far-right lawmakers have proposed Elon Musk for the EU's top rights prize for the second year in a row as a champion of "free speech", the European Parliament said on Thursday.

The billionaire boss of social media platform X was among nominees put forward by EU lawmakers for the prestigious Sakharov Prize -- a choice that raised a few eyebrows in Brussels.

Other nominees included Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, her ally presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, and jailed Azerbaijiani activist Gubad Ibadoghlu.

Musk was recommended by the far-right Patriots for Europe and Europe of Sovereign Nations groups, with the first citing "his commitment to free speech, transparency, and fighting against censorship".

The owner of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has repeatedly sparred with the European Commission over EU rules requiring social media to better police online content.

But French lawmaker Thierry Mariani of the Patriots told AFP the nomination was not meant as a dig to the commission.

AFP

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