Bannon is punching bag in Europe populist divide

Bloomberg

France’s European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau accused nationalist leaders of being in thrall to the US and Russia, as she sought to turn the tide on the populist wave surging across Europe.
Loiseau cited former White House strategist Steve Bannon as she suggested that Europe’s nationalists are open to undue foreign influence, saying they “have found their masters in Washington and in Moscow.”
Loiseau, the minister in charge of French President Emmanuel Macron’s campaign for next year’s European elections, was speaking a day after Marine Le Pen distanced herself from Bannon and his efforts to sway the vote outcome. Alleging that Bannon “supports Russia and dislikes Europe,” Loiseau attempted to expose a weak spot in Le Pen’s electoral strategy.
“I don’t think Europe needs someone like Bannon,” Loiseau said. “We don’t need the recipes of someone who has shown his xenophobia and his reactionary side.”
Bannon is fast becoming a lightning rod for the looming clash over Europe’s future that’s set to play out at next May’s elections to the European Parliament. The former Trump strategist has helped set up The Movement, which aims to supply campaign help for like-minded political parties with a focus on national sovereignty, stronger borders, greater curbs on migration.