How do we fight for justice and equality in the face of racism? The struggle to break the cycle of progress and backlash that defines race and politics in America.
25 July 2018
Politico: Steve Bannon’s European dream is delusional but dangerous
Bannon’s idea betrays a deep lack of understanding of how European politics work. Even if one leaves aside the inherent contradiction of a nationalist American trying to use the European Parliament to undermine national governments, it’s unclear exactly how the mechanics of his operation will function. [...]
Yet Bannon’s effort does put its finger on a weak point of the EU that has persisted for decades: Political parties often deprioritize the European Parliament, choosing to focus their resources and send their best candidates to domestic parliaments instead.
That has allowed fringe groups like the British National Party to sneak into the Parliament, use its platform to reach a wider audience and access its funding opportunities. Far-right groups such as the United Kingdom Independence Party, Le Pen’s National Rally (then called the National Front) and the Alternative for Germany have also used the European Parliament to cannily expand their domestic reach.
Politico: Europe’s far right doesn’t bear hug Steve Bannon back
Donald Trump’s former chief strategist last week unveiled plans to ramp up a Brussels-based foundation, named The Movement, to coordinate and advise right-wing populist parties campaigning in next spring’s European Parliament election. His plan is to help parties set up a right-wing “supergroup” within the Parliament that could attract as many as a third of the lawmakers after next May’s ballot, he told the Daily Beast. [...]
“Bannon is American and has no place in a European political party,” said Jérôme Rivière, a member of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party who recently met Bannon in London. “We reject any supra-national entity and are not participating in the creation of anything with Bannon.” [...]
But Annemans, who is also president of the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom, a pan-European grouping, expressed concern that Bannon’s project could be a way to give jobs to his friends, such as former UKIP leader Nigel Farage and Laure Ferrari, a French politician with close links to Farage. [...]
The League, according to a Euroskeptic MEP close to the party who didn’t want to be named, is working on “its own political project, own alliances,” building on partnerships with France’s National Rally, Vlaams Belang and Austria’s Freedom Party, as well as forging new ties to the Alternative for Germany and the Sweden Democrats.
Politico: Theresa May takes control of Brexit
May’s power grab is confirmation that she has now taken complete control over the process, alongside her chief Brexit adviser, Olly Robbins, and is likely to further fuel accusations that she is moving further away from the Brexiteers in her party who felt reassured by Raab’s appointment.
Speaking at the Brexit Select Committee Tuesday afternoon Robbins said Raab would still be Barnier’s main interlocutor and the prime minister’s statement was simply a reflection that May was in overall charge. [...]
However, it will now fall to Number 10 Downing Street and Robbins’ “Europe Unit” to lead the negotiations with Brussels. “I will lead the negotiations with the European Union, with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union deputising on my behalf,” May says. “Both of us will be supported by the Cabinet Office Europe Unit and with this in mind the Europe Unit will have overall responsibility for the preparation and conduct of the negotiations, drawing upon support from DExEU and other departments as required.”
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