As the U.S. billionaire intensifies his political campaigning in Europe, the European Central Bank joined a competitor of Elon Musk’s X by starting to post on the Bluesky microblogging site on Monday.
Since Musk purchased the website, which was originally known as Twitter, and began using it to further his political agenda—most notably, asking Germans to vote for a far-right party—Bluesky is one of several websites attempting to overtake the platform.
According to an ECB spokesman, the central bank began utilizing a number of new platforms last year in an effort “to diversify (its) social media presence,” with Bluesky being “just the latest such addition.”
The ECB shared an interview with chief economist Philip Lane to begin its Bluesky activities. Additionally, this was put on X, which the ECB spokeswoman stated it will keep using.
Musk assisted Donald Trump in winning the U.S. presidential election last year, but disinformation specialists criticized his platform for allowing lies to circulate throughout the campaign. The European Commission said it will keep an eye out for any dissemination of false material during Musk’s talk with the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party on X last week. Additionally, he has supported Giorgia Meloni, the right-wing prime minister of Italy.
Under President Christina Lagarde, the European Central Bank has made combating climate change and promoting gender equality a top priority. Musk has expressed opposition to measures pertaining to inclusion, equity, and diversity. He supports Trump, who has referred to climate change as a hoax, while asserting that he “has done more for the environment than any single human on earth.”
