Active Stocks
Tue Mar 19 2024 13:51:07
  1. Tata Consultancy Services share price
  2. 4,005.40 -3.36%
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 150.15 0.37%
  1. Bharti Airtel share price
  2. 1,232.30 0.59%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 260.85 -1.57%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 410.05 -1.76%
Business News/ News / World/  Donald Trump steers right-wing summit CPAC on populist path blazed in Europe
BackBack

Donald Trump steers right-wing summit CPAC on populist path blazed in Europe

The list of speakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that opens Thursday includes two European nativists, Marion Marechal-Le Pen and Nigel Farage

US President Donald Trump had appeared numerous times at Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) since 2011 as he considered running for office. Photo: AFPPremium
US President Donald Trump had appeared numerous times at Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) since 2011 as he considered running for office. Photo: AFP

Washington: US President Donald Trump has pushed the Republican Party toward a European-style populism that is amply evident in the line-up at an annual conference in Washington that long has reflected the pulse of the American right.

The list of speakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that opens Thursday includes two European nativists, Marion Marechal-Le Pen and Nigel Farage, who will address the gathering between panels and events on the dangers of immigration, Sharia law and “lawless" government agencies.

The presence of Marechal-Le Pen and Farage is an indicator of how Trump’s “America First" agenda parallels traditional European nationalism, said Benjamin Haddad, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute who studies European populism and transatlantic affairs.

“You do see a convergence with the Trump movement—when it comes to closed borders, protectionism, the nativism and anti-immigration discourse, the focus on Islam," Haddad said. “It’s what we’ve seen in European movements for years."

Over the three-day run of the conference, which often reflects the direction of the GOP, audiences will hear from Trump, who’s promised to appear every year he is president; vice-president Mike Pence, the kick-off speaker on Thursday; and a cross section of Trump administration officials popular with conservatives.

Addressing critics

Most of the other scheduled speakers are regulars on the conservative media circuit. But the decision by CPAC to invite Marechal-Le Pen, the far-right French politician and niece of National Front leader Marine Le Pen, has generated some blowback.

CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp addressed critics who said Marechal-Le Pen defies core precepts of American conservatism, writing on Twitter: “Part of @CPAC is hearing people out. Debate is good for democracy and we are honoured to have her address our activists."

Jamie Weinstein, a conservative commentator based in Washington, responded to Schlapp’s message with a tweet saying he’s all for a healthy debate, but “I’m afraid what @CPAC is doing w/ Le Pen is allowing her to steal mantle of conservatism for an ideology that is anything but, at least as defined in America."

Political dynasty

The 28-year-old Marechal-Le Pen is a scion of the nativist political dynasty that began with her grandfather Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the National Front in 1972. She has championed a harder line on immigration and national identity than her aunt, who was defeated by Emmanuel Macron for the French presidency last year. Shortly after the election, Marechal-Le Pen said she was retiring from political life, though she didn’t close the door on a return.

“She’s young, she’s a firebrand speaker, she’s clearly a good spokesperson for this," Haddad said, adding that her philosophy is closer to her grandfather’s than that of her aunt, who tried to steer the party away from some of its most racially-charged elements and toward populist economic issues like trade protectionism and minimum wage increases.

Marechal-Le Pen speaks on Thursday, about an hour after Pence. Farage, the British politician who was a force behind the successful Brexit referendum, will take the stage on Friday.

Trump ally

The former UK Independence Party leader has aligned himself with Trump, who has returned the embrace. Shortly after the American presidential election, Trump suggested Farage should be Britain’s ambassador to the US. That was rejected by Prime Minister Theresa May, who has had a sometimes frosty relationship with the president.

Thomas Wright, the director of the Brookings Institution’s Centre on the United States and Europe said Marechal-Le Pen and Farage are “birds of a feather" and “not friends of the US and Europe." He said the participation of Marechal-Le Pen in particular “raises questions" as to whether CPAC is “aware of the various anti-American things she’s said."

“Everyone should be very clear-eyed about what it is they stand for, which is a very anti-American view and a pro-Russian view of politics, and of the United States’ role in Europe," Wright said. “It’s a worrying gesture. It raises significant concerns."

Trump on Tuesday praised Schlapp for organizing what he said would be an “exciting event."

Converging

The presence of nativist sentiments aren’t new in American politics, but until recent years they’ve largely been relegated to the fringes. Previous Republican Party leaders have instead emphasized pluralism over identity, alongside free markets and limited government. The rise of Trump appears to be a reflection of the potency of populism in a country that has been dominated by European immigrants and now is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse.

“It does send a message that the Republican Party seems to be converging more with Trump," Wright said.

Numerous panels and other events are focused on the nuts and bolts of political activism, including using data and social media in campaigns, as well as issues that long have animated conservatives, such as the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and freeing markets from government interference.

But many sessions have a flavour of current debates about immigration, the inquiries into Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether conservative opinions are suppressed on college campuses. Several are centered on Trump’s policies.

Trump had appeared numerous times at CPAC since 2011 as he considered running for office. In 2016, when Trump cancelled his appearance, the group criticized him and said his move “sends a clear message to conservatives."

A rival for the Republican nomination, senator Ted Cruz of Texas, was the winner of that year’s CPAC straw poll, which had been won by Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Mitt Romney before their successful runs for the Republican nomination.

Some traditional conservatives feared then that Trump would push the Republican Party in a nativist direction. It was “one of the top concerns #NeverTrump-ers had about Trump," Weinstein said. Bloomberg

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 22 Feb 2018, 05:08 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App