ROME, Italy: Across Europe, and sometimes even the world, a growing number of hard-right politicians, activists, and online influencers have discovered that getting the attention of Elon Musk is a powerful shortcut to amplifying their voices.

Consider the case of a German politician whose party has been flagged as extremist by her country's own domestic intelligence service. For years, her reach was limited. However, on the days Musk liked or replied to her posts, her audience on X (formerly Twitter) leapt from a steady 230,000 to more than 2.2 million. Soon after, she guided her party to its strongest showing at the ballot box.

In Britain, an anti-immigration activist who was once banned from Twitter and even jailed for contempt of court found new life after Musk reinstated him in late 2023. Since his return, he has mentioned or tagged Musk more than 120 times, earning nearly one million new followers. What once looked like the end of his career in public life has instead turned into a revival, thanks in no small part to the billionaire's willingness to grant him space on the platform.

Even minor figures have benefited. A little-known influencer from Cyprus, who entered politics with little more than a fixation on Musk, suddenly emerged as a surprise member of the European Parliament. Before his win, his social-media goal seemed simple: to meet and embrace Musk. He not only got his hug but also a political boost. On days Musk engaged with his posts, his views skyrocketed from about 300,000 to nearly 10 million.

Although Musk has soured in Washington politics—he resigned from President Donald Trump's advisory council this year and more recently has traded insults with Trump as he pursues his own political ambitions—his power on X has only grown. The platform he bought for US$44 billion has become his personal stage, giving him the ability to boost allies, undermine critics, and shape political conversations across borders.

An Associated Press analysis of public data shows just how influential his digital megaphone has become in Europe. Reviewing more than 20,000 posts by 11 far-right figures in six countries, AP found that Musk's interactions often triggered surges in attention and followers for accounts aligned with nationalist, anti-immigration, or anti-progressive agendas. Musk himself has engaged with these accounts nearly 190 times since taking over Twitter, while European influencers have tagged or replied to him close to a thousand times.

The results, European lawmakers warn, are troubling. "Every alarm bell needs to ring," said Christel Schaldemose, a vice president of the European Parliament who focuses on election integrity and digital regulation. She and others see Musk's behavior not simply as casual banter but as a form of political intervention—foreign interference of a kind Europe has long feared from Russia or China, now emanating from Silicon Valley.

The numbers are striking. One influencer who had about 120,000 followers when Musk purchased Twitter in October 2022 grew to more than 1.2 million by early 2025. Seven other European accounts recorded six-figure jumps in the same period. While other forces, including national politics, certainly contributed, AP's findings suggest that Musk's attention can be the decisive spark that propels local actors onto the global stage.

Musk himself frames his role differently. Declaring himself a "free speech absolutist," he has repeatedly argued that X should serve as an open forum for ideas, no matter how controversial. Yet critics point out that the platform is not neutral—it amplifies Musk's speech and those he chooses to elevate.

Indeed, his own account has become the single most dominant presence on X. Since his acquisition, Musk's followers have more than doubled to more than 220 million, eclipsing every other account. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw a 25 percent jump over the same period, adding 21 million followers. Donald Trump's account grew by 12 million, or 14 percent. Pop star Taylor Swift managed just three million new followers, a three percent gain. None of them come close to Musk's relentless climb.

The effect is a further concentration of digital power in the hands of one individual. Musk now commands the largest audience on a platform used by hundreds of millions worldwide, with the ability to direct attention at will.

For governments, regulators, and voters, the question is no longer whether Musk matters in European politics. The question is how much—and whether democracies can adapt to a world where the world's richest man, through a single platform, can tilt debates, boost movements, and disrupt political balances that have held for decades.