TV comic set to win seats in Italian general election

It's not only in the US that actors are crossing over into politics. A recent publication in South European Society and Politics suggests why comedian Beppe Grillo's Five Star Movement may win a certain number of seats in parliament at Italy's upcoming general elections.

A comedian with a rather particular background regarding his relationship with politics and television, Grillo is one of the figures most active in giving voice to the anti-political sentiment making a deep impact on the current orientation of Italian citizens.

Also interesting (and controversial) is his role within the MoVimento: he is the inspiration and mouthpiece of participation from the bottom up, but, at the same time, he also exercises a total control over the Movement's strategic choices.

This article tries to explain what the Five Star Movement is today: what organisational model it propounds, what challenges it poses for the system, as well as internal challenges. The general aim of this work is to shed light on the main characteristics of the Five Star Movement, and to see whether they can be read from a perspective of continuity – or change.

Could this controversial comic end up being a major influencer in Italian politics?

Read the full article online: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/1 … 13608746.2013.775720