Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon will address the National Front conference in France on Saturday.
Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right group who lost the presidential election to Emmanuel Macron last year, will introduce the populist firebrand at the event in Lille. The event is said to be an opportunity to re-energize the National Front and Le Pen is expected to unveil a new name for the party.
Bannon’s visit to France appears to be part of a European tour. Since the beginning of March he has also been to Italy and Switzerland pushing populist ideas.
“The populist wave in Europe is not over: It’s just getting started. History is on our side,” he said while in Zurich, according to local media.
While in France, Bannon may also meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whom Bannon called a “hero” and “the most significant guy on the scene right now,” per the New York Times.
That report also said Bannon has set up his de facto headquarters for now — he was ousted from Breitbart News in January — and that he also still has his eyes on the U.S. via a project to start a think tank designed to “weaponize” populist ideas.
