Rise of Sarah Knafo in French Politics and Strong Connections with President Trump's World
Paris, February 15: While Marine Le Pen remains the dominant figure of the French far-right, in Trump’s world, a lesser-known European Parliament member, Sarah Knafo, is steadily making her mark.
Knafo, 31, is a prominent leader of France’s "Reconquest" party, a nationalist movement known for its strong opposition to Islam. The party is led by former presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, a well-known figure in French right-wing politics.
Knafo and Zemmour were among the few French politicians invited to the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump on January 20, 2021. They secured seats at the Capital One Arena and later attended the Liberty Ball. However, Le Pen did not personally attend the event, instead sending a three-person delegation.
Marine Le Pen, head of the National Rally (RN) party, has long worked to purge her party of racist and anti-Semitic elements. Her "de-demonization" strategy has made her the leading candidate for the 2027 presidential election, but she has been cautious about forming ties with Trump, whose image is widely disliked in Western Europe. She seeks to protect her party’s image ahead of the elections.
Knafo, a supporter of cryptocurrency and tech billionaire Elon Musk, is emerging as an influential figure in Trump’s world from this context.
