Far-right French leader Jordan Bardella backed out of his speech scheduled for Friday after Steve Bannon's alleged "Nazi" salute.
Bardella, president of France's National Rally (NR) party, was scheduled to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., about "the links between the United States and France, as well as the recent electoral dynamic of patriot parties in Europe," France 24 reported.
"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," Bardella wrote in a statement obtained by France 24, a state-owned news network.
Bardella, who is also a member of the European Parliament, took over as leader of the RN party in 2022.
Bannon, President Donald Trump's former chief strategist who was pivotal in getting him elected in 2016, made the gesture on Thursday after calling for relentless political combat and instructing the audience to "fight, fight, fight."
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