Politics
the video •
Grillo continues to drop hints. A video has emerged that looks like an election advert
Dozens of weapons have been melted down to create a metal carpet on which citizens walk back and forth from the Chamber of Deputies. There is no symbol, but a message: ‘We are above it all’. This is how the comedian continues to titillate the imaginations of the Five Star Movement supporters
Beppe Grillo is entering the fray – or perhaps not. For now, a new party founded by the former leader of the M5S is nothing more than a fantasy that he continues to play on in various ways. The video he posted this evening, accompanied by the brief comment "We are above it all", has all the hallmarks of a campaign advert. It is entirely generated by AI and opens with a series of weapons trained on a large cauldron (a crucible, for those in the know) brimming with molten metal. The glowing material is poured into a mould, from which—once cooled—a sheet of metal is drawn. The sheet is then rolled up like a carpet and unrolled by a crowd of women, children and elderly people in front of Palazzo Montecitorio, the seat of the Chamber of Deputies. People walk back and forth from the Chamber across this carpet (from which the bas-reliefs of the weapons melted down to make it emerge).
The video shows nothing more. No symbols, no programme, just that little slogan (namely "We are above"). Just enough to suggest that Grillo is continuing to stir the imaginations of his supporters who have now distanced themselves from the M5S led by Giuseppe Conte and remain loyal to the comedian’s ideas: a tactic that has been going on for weeks now. Last week, for example, on the feast day of St Francis, the comedian published a long post on his blog entitled “Today is 4 October. And everything’s fine”, in which he refers to what he claims are the party’s original values: a political force, he wrote, “was inspired by Franciscan principles, founded on 4 October 2009, whose vision was that of serving within institutions to improve the lives of citizens, rather than seeking personal enrichment”. As is often the case, the comedian’s target was the President of the Sardinia Region, Alessandra Todde, who is now – as we write here – seen as a sort of textbook example to show the old Five Star Movement community how Conte’s Movement has now become “something else entirely”.
Meanwhile, a photo has appeared on his WhatsApp profile showing a rover on Mars with the flag of the ‘Zero Stars Movement’ superimposed on it – a symbol the comedian had already circulated in September – prompting journalists and commentators to speculate about a possible new party for the former leader of the Five Star Movement, who in recent weeks has continued to fuel uncertainty surrounding his possible return to politics, amid meetings with former M5S MPs and a post on his X profile: “I’m not done with politics. I’m exhausted by politics.” Yet, just a few hours earlier, on an episode of Fedez and Mr Marra’s ‘Pulp’ podcast, when asked about the possibility of a return to politics – perhaps at the helm of a new party – Grillo had been categorical: “How am I supposed to found a party, to organise it? I don’t have the power or the ability to do so; I’m sorry. I can offer input and some extraordinary ideas.”
There are plenty of clues and developments suggesting that something is afoot. It could be a comic stunt to troll politicians and newspapers, just as it could be a gradual but steady build-up to a genuine political project. Meanwhile, Grillo’s loyal supporters are hoping for his return. “Am I helping Grillo set up a new party? I won’t confirm it, nor will I deny it,” wrote former M5S MP Marco Bella on Facebook, posting a selfie with the comedian. Speaking to Il Foglio, another former Grillo MP, Vincenzo Presutto, at the mere thought of seeing a new Grillo-branded symbol on the ballot paper, said: “If only!” Before Conte, there was genuine debate within the party, at both local and national levels. Today, however, there is a pseudo-democratic participation that is entirely controlled by Conte. That is why,” he concluded, “a party led by Grillo would be a godsend for everyone, and it could be liberal and even pragmatic on rearmament.”
