Alexander Gauland, one of two co-leaders of the anti-immigrant right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD), has expressed skepticism about plans by President Donald Trump's former political strategist Steve Bannon to undermine the EU by creating a new populist foundation.
"We're not in America and the interests of the anti-establishment parties in Europe are quite divergent. Mr. Bannon will not succeed in forging an alliance of the like-minded for the European elections," Gauland emphasized.
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He added that although AfD co-leader Alice Weidel had met once with Bannon, he saw no possibility of collaborating with him.
Gauland was echoed by Christian Weiland, an AfD member in Bad Kreuznach, who told Sputnik that he sees "a super-European rights movement rather critically."
"I am critical about naming a foreign player, I fear that it lacks the reference to the cultural characteristics of the European people. There is potential for friendship with other right-wing parties, even without Mr. Bannon's help," Weiland pointed out.
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Gauland's remarks came a few weeks after Bannon stated that he is establishing the Movement, a new foundation to lead Europe-wide revolts starting with the European parliament elections scheduled next spring.
The goal is to finally set up a right-wing "supergroup" within the European Parliament which would have the ability to seriously disrupt parliamentary proceedings, according to Bannon.
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A former investment banker and film producer, Bannon became executive chairman of Breitbart News after its founder's death in 2012.
The populist Eurosceptic AfD party obtained about 13 percent of the vote during the 2017 German general elections, entering the Bundestag for the first time in its history. A fresh poll revealed on Friday that public support for the AfD has increased up to a record 16 percent.