Grillo's Anti-Austerity Wave Crashes Into Italian Parliament — smh.com.au

Five-Star Movement activist and comedian Beppe Grillo. Photo: Reuters ROME: Beppe Grillo, the comic banned from Italian television decades ago for ridiculing a corrupt cadre of ruling lawmakers, had his political satire rewarded yesterday with more than 160 seats in Parliament. Grillo's parliamentary list filled with political neophytes amassed enough votes in Monday's election to deny a majority to front-runner Pier Luigi Bersani and a comeback to three-time Premier Silvio Berlusconi. As his competitors seek to cobble together a make-shift alliance, the 64-year-old Grillo is keeping his distance and preparing for a new vote.

Read More