Beppe Grillo, the founder of the Five Star Movement (M5S), has formally requested a new vote on the recent decisions made during the party’s constituent assembly held in Rome over the weekend. The request comes after the assembly’s results largely handed the leadership of the movement to Giuseppe Conte, effectively removing Grillo’s role as guarantor. The vote, which was attended by over 50,000 party members, also saw the party deciding to abolish the two-term limit for elected officials. Grillo’s challenge to the outcome is based on his interpretation of the party’s current statute, giving him the right to demand a repeat vote.
Giuseppe Conte, the M5S leader and former prime minister, quickly responded, accusing Grillo of attempting to sabotage the democratic process. In a defiant Instagram post, Conte dismissed Grillo’s actions as a throwback to a “feudal” system and insisted that, even if the majority of members voted against him, their decision would still stand. He expressed his willingness to contest the legal validity of Grillo’s demands, while reiterating his preference for democracy and participation. “We will give it a few days, and we will vote again on the contested statute amendments,” Conte concluded.
The political tension within M5S is now at a boiling point, as both sides gear up for what could be a lengthy legal and internal battle over the party’s future direction. Former Minister Danilo Toninelli defended Grillo’s position, emphasizing that “the dream is not definitively dead,” signaling that the struggle for control over the movement is far from over.
