| Formation | 2017 (registration), 2019 (relaunch) |
|---|---|
| Founder | Steve Bannon |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Location | |
Region | Europe |
| Leader | Steve Bannon |
Key people |
|
The Movement is aBrussels-based organization founded by American political strategistSteve Bannon to promoteright-wing populist and economic nationalist groups in Europe that are opposed to theEuropean Union governments and political structures of Europe.[3][4] The organization was expected to hire 10 full-time staff inBrussels before the2019 European Parliament election.[5][6] In January 2017,Mischaël Modrikamen, leader of thePeople's Party in Belgium, officially registered the group.[7][8]
Bannon initially discussed his plans for the organization withThe Daily Beast, saying he wanted to create a populist "supergroup" bloc that could win up to a third of all 700+Members of the European Parliament seats. He said he thought of the idea when he was invited to speak at an event hosted byMarine Le Pen.[9] Bannon also believes thatSweden's 2018 elections created the perfect timing to launch The Movement.[10]
The Movement stands as a counterpoint to George Soros'Open Society Foundations. Bannon has referred to Soros as "evil but brilliant", and expressed a desire to promotenationalism instead ofglobalism.[9]
In July 2018, Bannon and other staff ofDonald Trump met with Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska,Željka Cvijanović, in Washington, D.C., attempting to expand influence in theBalkans.[11][12]
The Movement has attracted the attention of Prime Minister of Hungary,Viktor Orbán, who spoke positively of the group.[13] In September 2018, then Deputy Prime Minister of Italy,Matteo Salvini, joined Bannon's newEurosceptic network.[14] TheUK Independence Party also stated they would work with the group.[15]
Since then, The Movement has also attracted the attention ofGeert Wilders, leader of theParty for Freedom, an Eurosceptic opposition party in theNetherlands. Wilders said he arranged to meet Bannon in the Netherlands to discuss the group.[10] Another such contact isThierry Baudet, leader of another Eurosceptic opposition party in the NetherlandsForum for Democracy.[citation needed]
Their first meeting in July 2018 was organized and attended byNigel Farage.[16] In September 2018, it was reported that France'sNational Rally party (formerly National Front), led byMarine Le Pen, would be joining The Movement.[17]
In September 2018,Luigi Di Maio, then leader of theFive Star Movement (M5S), met with Bannon and spoke positively of The Movement, although he remained ambivalent on whether he would join.[18] On 6 September 2019, the M5S formed apro-European, centre-left government with theDemocratic Party, significantly reducing the chances of its joining The Movement.[citation needed]
After launching The Movement, Mischaël Modrikamen promised a January 2019 summit with 20 to 30 groups involved. It did not happen and as of March 2019 there were only three official members, two from Italy: theBrothers of Italy and thecoalition partyLeague, and Modrikamen'sPeople's Party inBelgium.[19][20] This lack of enthusiasm was possibly due to the perceived outside influence of Bannon, or to disagreements over views between the various groups.[21]
In February 2019, it was reported thatEduardo Bolsonaro, the son ofJair Bolsonaro, the then President of Brazil, would be its representative in South America.[22][23]
In Belgium, thePeople's Party was dissolved on 18 June 2019, thus ending its affiliation to The Movement.[24]
Despite gains made by the group, the co-leader of theAlternative for Germany (AfD),Alexander Gauland, rejected The Movement as an American conception and criticized its projections. He stated that "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.[25] The next day, theFreedom Party of Austria's secretary generalHarald Vilimsky stated his party, like Gauland's, is also unwilling to cooperate with Bannon, reiterating the party's independence and rejectingAmerican influence in the populist movements of Europe.[26]
In September 2018,UKIP leaderGerard Batten stated 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".[27] In October 2018,Marine Le Pen, president ofNational Rally (RN), downplayed Bannon's plans for The Movement, saying that only Europeans would be "the political force behind the EU elections ... to save Europe."[28]
Speaking to theDziennik Gazeta Prawna in September 2017,Law and Justice (PiS) MEPKarol Karski said that this was not an offer for his party. Karski states that PiS would never support European parties working with Russia, such as AfD or RN. According to Karski, Bannon's offer is "for those who want to smash the EU."[29]
Bannon plans to spend 50 percent of his time in Europe—mostly in the field rather than the Brussels office—once the midterm elections in the U.S. are over in November.