Tech billionaire Elon Musk is reportedly seeking “revenge” against the European Union and its leaders, according to a conservative academic. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s frustration stems from what he perceives as an attempt by the EU to “blackmail” social media platforms like his own.

Another critic based in Brussels suggests that Musk’s aggressive posture has unsettled center-left politicians in Europe. Musk, who actively supported Donald Trump during his presidential campaign, has been vocal about his criticisms of Europe, the EU, and specific European leaders, often using his social media platform, X (previously known as Twitter) as his playing field.

His grievances range from issues with European governance and regulatory frameworks to individual political figures. In the past, he has called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz an “incompetent fool” and demanded his resignation, while also labeling German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as an “anti-democratic tyrant” and expressing support for the far-right AfD.

He has similarly criticized the European Commission, headed by President Ursula von der Leyen, as undemocratic, advocating for more power to be given to the European Parliament. Beyond the EU, the 54 year old has also directed numerous digital jabs at Sir Keir Starmer and his government, even suggesting that the UK Prime Minister should be imprisoned following last year’s triple stabbing in Southport, which resulted in the death of three children.

Frank Furedi, Executive Director of the MCC Brussels think tank, shared with Express.co.uk: “I think in many ways, as far as he’s concerned, this is payback time.”

“He feels that the European Commission, particularly, but also supported by these heads of governments, have been extremely provocative almost to the point of blackmailing various kind of social media platforms, regulating them and then regulating them again and insisting that they basically become subservient to their rules.”

“They’ve told Meta and X that unless they played by their rules, they’re going to be excluded from Europe, and they’re going to shut them down. So I think that he feels a sense of anger.”

When asked about Musk’s likely objectives, Frank Furedi, a Hungarian-Canadian academic and emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: “He’s already a major global player, and he’s trying to sort of provide for himself that kind of global platform where he’s not just simply a big American company, but an international one.”

It was probable that Musk was testing the waters, Furedi suggested, adding: “He’ll push as far as he can, but in the end, he’s a pragmatic businessman, and I’m fairly sure that pragmatism will have the last word.”

Musk’s remarks have undoubtedly ruffled feathers in capitals across the continent, Furedi added, with leaders uncertain how to respond. He said: “I think it’s both personal, in that he doesn’t think very highly of these individuals, and it’s also transactional.

“He holds these people in contempt for not really achieving very much and so he’s basically decided that he’s in a position where he can call them out and demonstrate that he is a real player, rather than the second-rate political leaders.”

In the case of Sir Keir, Musk’s comments were seen as highlighting a cultural and ideological divide, according to Furedi. He remarked: “There is a fundamental sharp clash of values here. So if you can imagine, in Musk’s eyes, you know, Starmer is a bit like someone like Nick Clegg. And so there is a kind of certain history of mutual dislike. I think that what Musk is basically trying to do is to settle scores with his detractors in Europe.”

Despite public statements by European leaders such as Sir Keir, Mr. Scholz, M.S. von der Leyen, and French President Emmanuel Macron expressing their readiness to collaborate with both Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk, Pieter Cleppe, editor of BrusselsReport.eu, suggested they were all clearly unsettled. The friction between Mr. Musk and various European figures arises from their inherent opposition to “the ever increasing role of social media, like X, in news provision” Mr. Cleppe stated.

He continued: “In most European countries, the state has great control over media, often indirectly, via subsidies, apart from the presence of lavishly funded state broadcasters.”

A well-known political analyst, Cleppe weighed in on the seismic shifts occurring across social media landscapes. He highlighted Elon Musk’s recent Twitter acquisition and transformation: “Particularly since Elon Musk has taken over Twitter, renaming it to X and ending shadow banning for anyone that is not centre-left, European policymakers feel that their narrative in favour of centre-left policies is much harder to promote.”

Cleppe went on to emphasize that due to these changes, criticism of high taxes, migration, a perceived lack of security and crackdowns on free speech were now being amplified in a much more powerful way than previously. He said: “Musk going after single government leaders, in the UK and in Germany, is making those centre-left politicians even more angry.”

Additionally, he pointed out how personal interventions by Musk could be fueling political unease: “Musk going after single government leaders, in the UK and in Germany, is making those centre-left politicians even more angry.”

“At the end, however, their only option is to opt for an ever more authoritarian crackdown on social media, if they want it to stop, certainly now that Meta has jumped on Musk’s bandwagon following the election of Donald Trump. It is unlikely European citizens will accept that.”