Grillo against Conte: “L’uomo che sussurrava ai cavilli” and “I suoi problemi economici non sono i miei”

The war of words continues between the current leader and the former head of the Five Star Movement, who appears increasingly determined to reclaim the party following his long absence from the public eye. First came the legal action in April and the subsequent tirade on his blog; now Beppe Grillo has unleashed his final weapon: the Pulp podcast. In the episode’s trailer, released yesterday, Grillo attacks the former prime minister, branding him ‘Reverend Jones’ and ‘the man who whispered to quibbles’, and levelling an accusation: ‘all the things I was saying 20 years ago have yet to come to pass’. Conte responded that very evening, as a guest on Diritto e rovescio: “Grillo? I’ve had enough of him,” and: “Let him say what he likes. It’s no longer a matter concerning the M5S.”

The Movement’s historic figurehead has made his voice heard once more through the civil proceedings against Conte to reclaim the party’s name and symbol. Then his tone grew even more forceful, with an indictment on his blog just like in the old days: “The Movement has lost its diversity. The revolutionaries have discovered the corridors of power.” The long and impassioned message, published in July following the postponement of the trial hearing, received praise from none other than Andrea Stroppa, Elon Musk’s representative in Italy.

In recent days, speculation has been circulating with increasing frequency about the formation of an anti-Conte list as a further move in the former leader’s battle to reclaim the party’s emblem. Grillo’s long-standing associate, Marco Bella, recently posted a photo of the two of them together on Facebook. In the lengthy caption, the former MP alludes to a possible new party, commenting: “I neither confirm nor deny it.” Alongside the comedian are said to be his loyalists – those he himself calls the “Mohicans” – including Nina Monti, Elio Lannutti and Angelo Troiani. A further clue that something is afoot came from Grillo’s WhatsApp status, where a modified logo of the Movement appeared, with the final “o” crossed out and no stars.

The latest development in this saga was the announcement of his appearance on the Pulp podcast, which released a trailer featuring excerpts of accusations levelled at Conte and past Five Star Movement governments: regarding the former prime minister, “The only thing progressive about him is his paralysis of the mind – progressive”; and regarding the governments: “I feel like a posthumous version of myself in real life, because everything I was saying twenty years ago has yet to come to pass.”

What did not take long to arrive, however, was Conte’s response. That very evening, on the programme Dritto e rovescio, he cut short the discussion, stating that “His economic problems are not mine; I am concerned with those of the Italian people”. This is unlikely to be the final chapter in the clash: the podcast episode has yet to be broadcast.