After calling Germany's Scholz 'a fool', Musk demands sacking of Italy judges over migrant detention verdict

Billionaire Elon Musk sparked controversy Tuesday (November 12) after weighing in on Italy’s hard-right government’s migrant policy, days after calling Germany’s chancellor a “fool.” Musk’s comments prompted swift backlash from Italian officials, lawyers, and the opposition.

The latest controversy emerged after Italian judges rejected the detention of a group of migrants transferred to Italian-run centers in Albania, referring the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

Judges had blocked a similar transfer last month, citing an ECJ ruling questioning Italy’s designation of some countries as “safe” for migrant repatriations, Fortune reported.

“These judges need to go,” Musk wrote on X, the social network he owns.

Musk’s comment drew praise from Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-immigration League party, who replied, “Elon Musk is right.”

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However, opposition leaders reacted with outrage. The center-left Democratic Party called Musk’s remarks “unacceptable interference,” while lawyer Ernesto Carbone, a member of Italy’s High Council of the Judiciary, warned that Musk represented a “danger to democracy.”

Italy’s National Magistrates’ Association expressed its “stupefaction,” with vice-president Alessandra Maddalena stating, “It is no longer the independence of the judiciary that is in question here, but the sovereignty of the Italian state.”

On Wednesday, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, widely regarded as a moral authority, publicly rebuked Musk. “Italy is a great democratic country… that knows how to look after itself while respecting its Constitution,” Mattarella said, advising Musk to refrain from “giving lessons.”

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The situation is a sign of mounting tensions surrounding Italy’s migrant policies, a key focus for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who took office in 2022 promising to reduce migrant arrivals.

Her government has faced court challenges over a year-old policy to process asylum applications in Albania for migrants from so-called “safe” countries, marking the first time an EU nation would process migrants outside its borders. Italian courts have so far blocked the effort.

On Monday, Italian judges referred a case involving seven migrants from Egypt and Bangladesh to the ECJ, seeking clarification on safe-country designations.

Meloni’s government recently amended Italy’s safe-country list to address legal concerns, but the courts continue to scrutinize the policy.

With inputs from agencies