Beppe Grillo returns to television almost ten years after his last appearance, when Bruno Vespa interviewed him in 2014. The founder of the 5 Star Movement, guest of Fabio Fazio on “Che tempo che fa”, gave the host a bell. «If I go out of tone, play it», he began by underlining that he had a lowering tone, «I have to raise my voice, it’s not anger, my anger is good».
The prelude to a monologue that began as soon as Grillo set foot in the TV program studio: «I’m here to know who I am and what you think of me and who you are. I am the worst, yes I am the worst. I have made this country worse, there is no joke. After the last interview with Vespa we lost elections, those I told to fuck are in government so I’m the worst. I’m here to understand whether I should continue or not, I brought Skype, I talked about Parmalat, I fought the whole world and now I’m going to a bar and you make me pay for the coffee…”.
Beppe Grillo’s intervention deviates from the classic Fazio interview pattern. The former leader of the M5S is a show, a theatrical performance, which jumps from topic to topic. Grillo is always on his feet, plays with the public and uses the television appearance to defend his son Ciro, on trial for gang sexual violence, and attack Giulia Bongiorno, lawyer of the girl who accuses him: «He is a lawyer, president of the commission Justice, she is a senator from the League who holds speeches in front of the courts. Where there is a case behind closed doors… It is inappropriate. So everything gets mixed up.”
«I founded the M5S, but I was a member of the Democratic Party»
«I cannot lead and bring a political movement to a successful conclusion, I am not capable – continued Grillo -. But Casaleggio was there, he was an organizer and he had a method, I do damage even on my own when I’m at home. I founded the Movement but I had joined the Democratic Party, in Arzachena – he joked -. I have total confusion, that’s why I withdrew and look what happens, my anger is a good anger, I still have it. I am good inside and good anger is necessary for the soul.”
«Perfect count for politics, Giggino (Di Maio) the best prepared but he stabbed us»
«Conte was not a member of the Movement, he is a handsome man, a graduate, he speaks English, then he spoke and little was understood… perfect for politics… but he has improved. Conte came from university, he was a lawyer, a writer. Now you see it, he puts a little heart into it.” Grillo does not spare the current leader of the Movement or even Luigi Di Maio: «Giggino the folder, I’m talking about Di Maio, he was the most prepared politician but we didn’t think he would get caught up in the power of organizing people. He and I chose it, Conte. I looked at the programmes, the ideas, whether he is from the right or the left doesn’t matter, if an idea is good. But then he stabbed us.. ». «We were an evangelical movement, we were born on October 4, the day of Saint Francis».
«In politics you have ideas and then it is obvious that when you enter the institutions, that idea is fragmented. The super construction bonus was also an idea, with Draghi we agreed that it should last 5 years. We also agreed on the citizen’s income, we thought about the navigators and then I launched the citizenship brigades…”.
«In Genoa I lived in a building where a merchant, the butcher, the bar man and a serial killer, Donato Bilancia, lived. Oh yes, my mother was a friend of Donato Bilancia’s mother who had committed 17 murders. Back then, there were no cell phones and my mother told me: ‘If you come back late, let Donato accompany you, otherwise I won’t be calm'”, said Grillo.