German politician's "Nazi car" remark sparks Tesla controversy
German politician Cansel Kiziltepe from the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) caused a stir with her post on platform X, where she described Tesla as a "Nazi car". Following a wave of criticism, Kiziltepe deleted her post, as reported by "Deutsche Welle".
The Prime Minister of Brandenburg, Dietmar Woidke, criticised Kiziltepe's statement, emphasising that people from about 150 different nationalities work at the Tesla factory in Grünheide. "Considering that in the Tesla factory in Grünheide, alongside many Berliners, people from about 150 different nationalities work, this statement from the senator for labour is completely out of place," Woidke told the newspaper “Berliner Zeitung.”
According to reports, Brandenburg's Minister for Economic Affairs, Daniel Keller, also urged Kiziltepe to retract her statement. "Such a Nazi comparison hurts the people who work there and is completely inappropriate for a senator for labour," he told the German agency DPA. "It's about well-paid, permanent jobs," added Keller.
The leader of the Berlin CDU parliamentary group, Dirk Stettner, also criticised Kiziltepe, describing her statement as a "dangerous relativisation of Nazi terror”.
"This is a dangerous relativisation of Nazi terror, and thus the Holocaust," said Stettner, adding that the senator should clarify her intentions.
Tesla faces challenges
Tesla, which has its factory in Grünheide, Brandenburg, employs about 11,000 people and is the largest employer in the region. The company is grappling with image issues related to the controversial role of Elon Musk in politics and his support for right-wing parties in Europe.
Kiziltepe maintained her criticism of Musk, stating that "Tesla is currently experiencing a sales collapse because customers attribute an extreme right-wing stance to its shareholder Elon Musk, who owns about 13 per cent of the company's shares.” She also added that she does not hold Musk's employees or customers responsible for his views.
