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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

In July 2018, Bannon and other former and current staff of Donald Trump met with the Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, Željka Cvijanović, in Washington, D.C., attempting to expand influence in the Balkans.[8][9]

The Movement has attracted the attention of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who spoke positively of the group.[10] It was reported in September 2018 that Italy's Matteo Salvini had joined Bannon's new eurosceptic network.[11] UKIP stated they will work with the group.[12] 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 biggest opposition party in the Netherlands, the eurosceptic Party for Freedom, and Thierry Baudet, leader of another eurosceptic opposition party in the Netherlands Forum for Democracy.[13] Wilders said he has arranged to meet Bannon in the Netherlands to discuss the group.[7]

It is reported France's National Rally party, led by Marine Le Pen, will be joining The Movement.[14]

Luigi Di Maio, leader of the Italian eurosceptic party M5S, recently met with Bannon and spoke positively of The Movement, although he remains ambivalent on whether or not he will join.[15]

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.[16] 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.[17]

UKIP leader Gerard Batten stated in September 2018 that his party has no intentions of joining The Movement, saying UKIP "doesn't fit into" what Bannon proposes across Europe, and the party will instead "pursue aims for the British people".[18]

Collaborating members

Name Country Ideology Position Leader MEPs EP Group
style="background:Template:People's Party (Belgium)/meta/color; width:2px;"| PP People’s Party Belgium Belgium National conservatism Right-wing Mischaël Modrikamen
0 / 21
 None
style="background:Template:Lega Nord/meta/color; width:2px;"| LN League Italy Italy Right-wing populism Right-wing Matteo Salvini
6 / 73
 ENF
style="background:Template:Brothers of Italy/meta/color; width:2px;"| FdI Brothers of Italy Italy Italy National conservatism Right-wing Giorgia Meloni
0 / 73
 None

Incoming members

Name Country Ideology Position Leader MEPs EP Group
style="background:Template:National Rally (France)/meta/color; width:2px;"| NR National Rally France France French nationalism Right-wing Marine Le Pen
16 / 74
 ENF

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. ^ Varagur, Krithika (7 September 2018). "Why Bannon Is Meddling With Bosnia". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  9. ^ Krauthamer, Ky (7 September 2018). "Ex-Trump Staffers Court Bosnian Serbs". Transitions Online. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Viktor Orbán Welcomes Steve Bannon's Efforts on Behalf of the European Far Right". Hungarian Spectrum. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  11. ^ Tondo, Lorenzo (8 September 2018). "Italy's Matteo Salvini joins Bannon's European populist group". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  12. ^ 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)
  13. ^ Rivet, Luc. "The Movement: What is Steve Bannon Cooking up in Europe?". Sputnik International. Retrieved 19 September 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  14. ^ "Marine Le Pen's far-right party to join Bannon populist project". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  15. ^ Borelli, Silvia. "TSteve Bannon: Italian experiment 'will change global politics'". Politico. Retrieved 19 September 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  16. ^ "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.
  17. ^ "Austria's far-right unwilling to collaborate with Bannon". The Times of Israel. Agence France-Presse. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  18. ^ James, William (21 September 2018). "UKIP will not join Steve Bannon's anti-EU movement, says leader". Reuters. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
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