PARIS (AP) — Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader, has met with former White House strategist Steve Bannon and signaled her interest in his project to help European populist parties — just days after rejecting assistance from the American.

Le Pen's companion, French lawmaker Louis Aliot, said on BFMTV station on Friday that she met with Bannon a day earlier in Paris. Aliot said Bannon wants to provide "technical means" for nationalist parties ahead of next year's European elections.

He added that Bannon made clear he "doesn't want to play a (political) role."

Le Pen said on Monday while in Rome that it was only European nations who would "shape the political forces ... to save Europe" — not an American.