Stand-up comic Beppe Grillo, the
co-founder of the left-leaning populist 5-Star Movement (M5S),
on Saturday claimed the right to bring on the "extinction" of
the party after leader Giuseppe Conte annulled his lucrative
contract with it and said relations between the two had broken
down irreversibly amid a row over its ban on standing for office
twice in a row and over the party symbol.
Conte said this week that relations with the anti-establishment
group's founder Grillo have "broken irreversibly" and announced
he will not renew the founder's 300,000-euro-a-year consultancy
contract as its 'guarantor'.
Ex-premier Conte and Grillo had been at odds for months over
issues including possible changes to the movement's statute
that would eliminate the rule stopping M5S's elective
representatives from serving more than two terms.
Grillo has said that the two-term rule must not be changed and
neither can the movement's name or symbol.
The row could lead to a schism.
Writing on his blog Saturday, Grillo said: "I absolutely do not
want to make a mess or not, I stake my claim as the creator of
the movement.
"I claim my right to the extinction of the movement. "When I see
this flag of the 5 Stars, with the Wizard of Oz (Conte) in front
who speaks of direct democracy, I get a hole in my stomach.
"So, that's fine, we have to be civilized people.
"He can make his own nice party, he can make his manifesto with
his beautiful, nice, sincere face, with it written, Oz and his
22 mandates can reach 8%".
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