US President Donald Trump's former political adviser Stephen Bannon announced that he has created a Brussels-based political organization "The Movement" intended to undermine the EU.
Bannon has been promoting conservative and nationalist ideas. He is gradually shifting his focus from US politics to Europe's after leaving the Trump administration.
Bannon set up "The Movement" with Raheem Qassam, a former aide to British Eurosceptic leader Nigel Farage. The basic idea behind the organization is to provide political and strategic support for European far-right parties in the 2019 European parliamentary elections.
In response, senior EU officials said Bannon's organization would not exert significant influences on EU operations.
Roland Tichy, the editor-in-chief of the conservative publication Tichy's Einblick, doesn't believe Bannon could reshape the political landscape in Europe. “Europe is much more diverse than the US,” Tichy said.
Bannon wants an anti-establishment revolution in Europe and has been endeavoring to create what he calls "a brave new world" where populism is the foundation.
Steve Bannon, former chairman of Breitbart News Network LLC and former Trump political strategist, gestures as he speaks during an interview at the Bloomberg Invest London event at Bloomberg's European headquarters in London, UK, October 10, 2018. /VCG Photo
Bannon's "The movement" aims to topple liberal establishment in the 2019 European parliamentary elections. "I wouldn't call it extremism, I think he is right on the spot," said Ingrid Carlgvist, an independent journalist.
Hind Makki, an Interfaith and diversity educator, disagrees. She said it is important to "differentiate between refugees who have an internationally protected right" and "citizens of European countries who might not be Christian or Jewish".
"Policies that he [Bannon] supports are very dangerous,” said Makki. She talked about psychical attacks against Muslims in Europe and accused politicians of whipping up anti-Muslim hysteria on the airwaves.
Makki pointed out that Bannon's statement "strong countries and strong nationalist movements in countries make strong neighbors" ignores the 20th-century European history. She said that international and regional relationships are what provide peaceful and stable interactions among countries.
Carlgvist expressed her concerns about immigration, and this was echoed by Tichy. Citing the situation in Germany as an example, Tichy believed immigrants could not help the modern and industrialized economy. “This [immigration] will ruin the social security system in Germany for sure,” said Tichy.
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