The former White House chief strategist is visiting Italy on the country’s election day to ‘watch and learn’ from the elections.
Impressed by the rise of anti-immigrant and populist parties within its borders, Mr Bannon believes that Italy’s election is “the most important thing happening politically in the world right now”.
Speaking to Italian newspaper Republica he said: “Italians often think they are outside the dynamics of world politics, but these elections will prove if and how important is the power of sovereignty and how important it is in the modern world.
“The EU has unloaded all the problems of Middle East and Africa on Italy and people are fed up with that, they want their sovereignty back.”
Mr Bannon highlighted, if polls are to be trusted, almost two-thirds of Italians today will vote for parties with anti-immigrant or populist views, including the Five Star Movement, Matteo Salvini’s Lega, Brothers of Italy and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia.
The former Breitbart News chief and Donald Trump advisor hopes an electoral outcome rewarding populism and that will make possible to create a government coalition gathering all the anti-establishment parties.
As Italy is one of the founding members of the European project, populism reigning in Rome would terrify Brussels
He said: “I believe it would be fantastic if all the populist parties were able to come together in a coalition, they would pierce through Brussels’ heart and scare the EU to death.”
Mr Bannon recently criticised also the treatment of Britain by the EU, calling it “vicious and dismissive”.
The journalist clarified that his visit in Rome must not be seen as an endorsement to a specific party.
He said: “Mr Salvini’s idea of turning Lega from a regional force to a national party was brilliant.
“But I am only here to observe, I will meet people but not to give them my endorsement.
“Italians don’t need an American to tell them what to do, as they don’t need that from people in Brussels.”
Among the political leaders he has planned to meet, Mr Bannon said there are also those of Five Star party.
The once closest aide of Mr Trump also spoke positively of Forza Italia leader Mr Berlusconi, likening him to the US president.
He said: “I think Mr Berlusconi is very similar to President Trump, like him he is unique and a businessman.
“I think he is one of the greatest leaders of the 21st century, he showed Italians that a political outsiders coming from the business world can speak the language of the people and lead them.”
After the elections, Mr Bannon will head to Zurich where on Tuesday evening will speak of the “implications of the populist revolution”.