‘The most dangerous man in Europe’: how Italian comedian Beppe Grillo could deepen continent’s crisis
Grillo’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement has become a powerful opposition party, helping to force Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to resign
When Beppe Grillo started to make headlines at the leader of Italy’s biggest protest party more than six years ago, it was hard to avoid the puns. A comedian turned politician, Grillo was laughed at and branded a “clown”.
But by 2013, the laughing subsided, and German magazine Der Spiegel already called him “the most dangerous man in Europe”. Three years later, he may finally be living up to that description, his critics fear.
Grillo’s left-leaning and anti-establishment Five Star Movement has become a powerful opposition party which helped force Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to resign following Sunday’s referendum.
Earlier this year, Renzi failed to secure the needed two-thirds parliamentary majority for a controversial bill which is supposed to streamline the country’s legislative process. The bill’s critics argued it would give too much power to the prime minister.
They don’t care if they have to put tens of millions of people into hunger to balance an account, it’s collateral damage
Renzi stuck to his promise to resign if Italians voted against his planned reforms on Sunday – a decision that could ultimately sweep Grillo’s party into power.
