Macron suspects ‘lobbyists close to US government’ are supporting Le Pen as Bannon visits Paris

Le Pen’s National Rally is likely to be tied with “lobbyists close to the American government,” the French president claimed as polls show his party is losing support just days ahead of the European Parliament vote.

Recent polls show Macron’s party La République En Marche (LREM) is trailing behind Le Pen’s right-wing National Rally and the president chose to lash out once again at its main rival.

Macron’s fresh rant was triggered by the figure of Steve Bannon, a former Trump’s advisor, whom French media suspect of backing the National Rally’s campaign. Bannon, who is currently visiting Paris, insists he came as an “observer” but the president clearly feels it is not the whole story.

“I see for the first time a collusion between the nationalists and foreign interests, whose objective is the dismantling of Europe,” Macron said on Monday, adding that Bannon is a “lobbyist close to the American government.”

Macron’s words were preceded by harsh remarks by his fellow party members. Nathalie Loiseau, LREM’s top contender for the upcoming election earlier said that Bannon “absolutely does not hide his desire” to interfere into the elections while National Rally members are trained according to the “Bannon method” which implies “disinformation” and “lies.” Apart from this Macron’s former political consultant and number six in the LREM list Stéphane Séjourné called Bannon’s actions “an attack on the sovereignty of elections.”

Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen (while admitting that she previously used Bannon’s services as a political adviser) indicated that he “plays no role” in the current campaign. Bannon, for his part, clarified that at times he acts as an “informal adviser” who only “makes remarks to certain parties and gives advice on fundraising,” but doesn’t get paid for that.

Pressure on Eurosceptic parties across Europe is high in the final days of the electoral campaign. On Monday, a prominent liberal EP lawmaker and former Belgian PM Guy Verhofstadt accused Marine Le Pen and four other right-wing politicians of being “paid by Putin” to destroy the EU.

The politician also urged to support the pro-European parties in order not to let “our continent become a playground for Trump & Putin’s puppets.”

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