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The Movement (right-wing populist group)

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The Movement
Formation2017 (registration), 2019 (relaunch)
FounderSteve Bannon
TypeNon-profit organisation
Location
Region
Europe
LeaderSteve Bannon
Key people
Staff10 (to be hired)

The Movement is a non-profit organisation which is to be set up by Steve Bannon to spread right-wing populism and influence politics in Europe. The organisation is expected to be headquartered in Brussels and hire 10 full-time staff before the European Parliament election in 2019.[2][3] Mischaël Modrikamen, leader of Belgium's People's Party, is a founding member with Bannon, having originally registered the group on January 9, 2017, to rally European nationalists.[4][5]

Background

Bannon discussed his plans for the organisation with The Daily Beast, saying he wanted to give a boost to populist parties to create a populist 'supergroup' bloc that could gather up to a third of all 700+ MEP seats. He said he thought of the idea when he was invited to speak at an event hosted by Marine Le Pen.[6] Bannon also believes that Sweden's 2018 elections offered the perfect timing to launch The Movement.[7]

The organisation has been compared and contrasted with George Soros' Open Society. Bannon has called Soros 'evil but brilliant', based on the success of his organisation, and is to influence nationalism as opposed to internationalism.[6]

Interest and support

The Movement has attracted the attention of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who spoke positively of the group.[8] It was reported in September 2018 that Italy's Matteo Salvini had joined Bannon's new eurosceptic network.[9] UKIP stated they will work with the group.[10] Giorgia Meloni, the leader of Brothers of Italy, has said she expects to officially join The Movement later in September 2018.[1]

Since then, The Movement has also attracted the attention of Geert Wilders, Leader of the Opposition in the Netherlands and head of the eurosceptic Party for Freedom. Wilders said he has arranged to meet Bannon in the Netherlands to discuss the group.[7]

Criticism and rejection

Despite gains made by the group, the co-leader of the Alternative for Germany, Alexander Gauland rejected The Movement as an American conception and criticized its projections. He stated: "Mr Bannon will not succeed in forging an alliance of the like-minded for the European elections" citing what he believes to be their diverging viewpoints.[11] The next day, the Freedom Party of Austria's secretary general Harald Vilimsky stated his party, like Gauland's, is also unwilling to cooperate with Bannon, reiterating the party's independence and rejecting American influence in the populist movements of Europe.[12]

Membership

Name Ideology Position Leader MEPs
style="background:Template:Lega Nord/meta/color; width:2px;"| LN League Right-wing populism Right-wing Matteo Salvini
6 / 73 (ENF)
style="background:Template:People's Party (Belgium)/meta/color; width:2px;"| PP People’s Party National conservatism Right-wing Mischaël Modrikamen
0 / 21 (NI)
style="background:Template:UK Independence Party/meta/color; width:2px;"| UKIP UK Independence Party Right-wing populism Right-wing Gerard Batten
17 / 73 (EFDD)

References

  1. ^ a b Horowitz, Jason (7 September 2018). "Steve Bannon's 'Movement' Enlists Italy's Most Powerful Politician". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  2. ^ Stubley, Peter. "Steve Bannon to set up 'The Movement' foundation to boost far-right across Europe". The Independent. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  3. ^ Goodfellow, Maya (10 August 2018). "How worried should we be about Steve Bannon's 'Movement'?". Aljazeera. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  4. ^ Macdonald, Alastair (25 July 2018). "Bannon's EU project eyes government allies". Reuters. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  5. ^ Macdonald, Alastair (24 July 2018). "Belgian lawyer launches Trump-inspired anti-EU movement". Reuters. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Steve Bannon plans Brussels-based foundation 'The Movement' for EU far-right". Deutsche Welle. 21 July 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  7. ^ a b Bendeich, Mark; Balmer, Crispian (11 September 2018). "Steve Bannon hopes to unite Europe's populists under 'The Movement'". The Christian Science Monitor. Reuters. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  8. ^ "VIKTOR ORBÁN WELCOMES STEVE BANNON'S EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE EUROPEAN FAR RIGHT". Hungarian Spectrum. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  9. ^ Tondo, Lorenzo (8 September 2018). "Italy's Matteo Salvini joins Bannon's European populist group". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  10. ^ Stone, Jon. "Ukip to team up in 'unholy alliance' with Steve Bannon's new far right European movement". The Independent. Retrieved 9 September 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  11. ^ "German far Right rebuffs Steve Bannon's effort to forge Europe-wide populist movement". The Telegraph. Agence France-Presse. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Austria's far-right unwilling to collaborate with Bannon". The Times of Israel. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
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