Far-right MEPs nominate billionaire Elon Musk for EU’s human rights prize

Europe’s far-right parties have nominated none other than billionaire Elon Musk as the nominee for a human rights award that is usually accorded to activists who are fighting for the restoration of democracy and rule of law in extremely perilous situations.

The X.com – formerly Twitter – owner was nominated by far-right parties Patriots for Europe, which is controlled by French far-right party National Rally and Hungarian premier Viktor Orban, and the far-right formation led by the German AfD, Europe of Sovereign Nations.

As X’s owner and most followed user, Elon Musk has increasingly used the social media platform as a megaphone to amplify his political views and, lately, those of right-wing figures he’s aligned with.

Dubbing himself a chamion of free speech, Musk has spread memes – and sometimes misinformation – about illegal immigration, alleged election fraud and transgender policies, and he formally endorsed former President Donald Trump’s presidential bid this summer.

The South African billionaire, worth some €266 billion, was listed along with various activists from Gaza and Palestine, and Venezuela’s democratic opposition for the Sakharov prize.

The centre-right European People’s Party nominated María Corina Machado as the leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela, and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia, as representatives of Venezuelans fighting for the re-institution of freedom and democracy.

González was also nominated by the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists.

González was the presidential candidate of the Unitary Platform political alliance for the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, which incumbent Nicolás Maduro is believed to have won by false electoral results. An arrest warrant was issued for González, who has since been granted asylum in Spain, leaving Venezuela on 7 September 2024.

The socialist S&D group and liberals Renew nominated the NGOs Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun and co-founders Yael Admi and Reem Hajajreh, respectively Israeli and Palestinian.

The Left group nominated Palestinian journalists Hamza and Wael Al-Dahdouh, Plestia Alaqad, Shireen Abu Akleh, and Ain Media in honour of Yasser Murtaja and Roshdi Sarra.

The Greens nominated Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, a senior visiting fellow at the London School of Economics who was severely beaten by police and imprisoned on fabricated charges while visiting Azerbaijan last summer. He remains detained under house arrest in Baku. 

The candidates were presented today in a joint meeting held by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Committee on Development.
Awarded for the first time in 1988 to Nelson Mandela and Anatoli Marchenko, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the highest tribute paid by the European Union to human rights work.

It gives recognition to individuals, groups and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to protecting freedom of thought. It promotes in particular freedom of expression, the rights of minorities, respect for international law, the development of democracy and the implementation of the rule of law. In 2023, the prize was awarded to Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement in Iran.

On 19 September, MEPs and political groups nominated their candidates for the Sakharov Prize. Each nominee must have the support of at least one political group or 40 MEPs, and each individual Member may support only one nominee.

A shortlist of three candidates will be drawn up through a vote by the Foreign Affairs and Development committees on 17 October.

The final winner or winners of the Sakharov Prize are chosen by the Conference of Presidents, a European Parliament body led by the president, which includes the leaders of all the political groups represented in the Parliament, making the choice of laureates a truly European choice.

This year, the Conference of Presidents will choose the winning laureate on 24 October. The award ceremony will take place on 18 December, during a plenary sitting in Strasbourg.