French far-right leader Jordan Bardella decided to cancel his scheduled speech at CPAC in Washington. He made this decision after Steve Bannon appeared to give a “Nazi salute” during the event.
Bardella, who leads France’s National Rally (RN) party, clarified that he was not present when Bannon made the gesture. Explaining his decision, he stated, “Yesterday, while I was not present in the room, one of the speakers out of provocation allowed himself a gesture alluding to Nazi ideology. I therefore took the immediate decision to cancel my speech that had been scheduled this afternoon.”
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Near the end of his speech, Bannon briefly raised his arm while discussing the possibility of Donald Trump serving a third term. Additionally, he urged the audience to “fight, fight, fight.” However, on Friday, Bannon denied making a fascist salute and claimed he was simply “waving to the crowd.”
Bannon Criticizes Bardella’s Decision
Meanwhile, Bannon responded sharply to Bardella’s cancellation. In an interview with Le Point, he called Bardella “a wimp” for withdrawing over the gesture. He further remarked, “If he’s that worried about it … then he is unworthy and will never lead France.”
Notably, many observers compared Bannon’s gesture to one made by Elon Musk last month. Musk’s action also drew criticism for resembling a Nazi salute.
Bardella’s Political Journey
Since taking over as RN president in 2022, Bardella has played a key role in French politics. He replaced Marine Le Pen and currently leads the Patriots group in the European Parliament. Meanwhile, Le Pen remains the leader of the RN in the French parliament. She has run for the presidency twice and is expected to contest again in 2027.
On the other hand, Bannon, a former Trump strategist, has faced legal troubles. Last year, he served four months in prison for defying a congressional subpoena related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
