New foundation to help right-wing populists: Bannon wants to influence European elections – politics

Bannon plans to focus on his new project in November after the mid-term elections in the United States, then spend half of his time in Europe. The former boss of the ultra-right site "Breitbart" wants a "super-group" of right-wing parties in the European Parliament, which he says could receive up to a third of seats. This group will be organized by Brexit champion Nigel Farage and Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right party Rbademblement National (formerly Front National).

Bannon also met the head of the AfD Alice Weidel

Already for months Bannon strives to make contact with the right-wing populist parties and parties. extreme right in Europe. Thus, alongside Trump's visit to the United Kingdom, he meets both Farage and representatives of nationalist parties in France, Belgium and Sweden. The champion of the "alternative right" in the United States has already sought a dialogue with the AfD – or vice versa. Thus, the president of AfD Alice Weidel met in March on the sidelines of an event in Zurich with Bannon. He was particularly interested in his experiences with political communication and alternative media.

Bannon used the news site "Breitbart" as the spokesman of the radical right in the United States, repeatedly against the political establishment in Washington returned to and at the early election supported Donald Trump. In August 2016, Bannon became the campaign leader of the presidential candidate Trump. After his electoral victory, he followed him as chief strategist at the White House. In August 2017, he left this post and returned temporarily to Breitbart. It is said that he later threw himself with Trump for derogatory remarks about his family members.

The foundation, which wants to build Bannon now in Europe, should initially have up to ten employees. How much money will be invested and where the money comes from is not yet known. According to Bannon's ideas, the "movement" will support European right-wing populists with political stances, targeted polls and a campaign strategy.

The Foundation Should Help With "Data Assisted Electoral Address"

One aspect of the planned support allows to sit down and take note: According to the media report, Bannon wants to help the concerned parties by the "data-badisted electoral appeal". Bannon was involved in the creation of the company Cambridge Analytica and was temporarily their vice president. In the US election campaign, the company had access to Facebook profiles of more than 50 million users. Based on these data, personality profiles could be created and specific groups of voters targeted. A similar procedure would have used the Brexit campaign before the referendum in the United Kingdom in 2016.

Bannon: "I am concerned about power"

Bannon now understands himself as a mentor of the new law in Europe – and not only "I'm interested in winning, I'm talking about power," Bannon told the Daily Beast, "I want to win, and then I want to make changes." As a model for other European countries, sees developments in Italy, where the ultra-right Lega Nord today represents the Minister of the Interior. "If it works, it can work anywhere."