Grillo confident M5S will win European elections

Euroskeptic, anti-austerity parties expected to do well

(ANSA) - Rome, March 21 - While Premier Matteo Renzi was at a European Summit on Friday, Beppe Grillo said his anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) will win more votes than Italy's ruling Democratic Party (PD) at upcoming European Parliament elections. "And then the PD will have to face the consequences. In Italy, there's no Renzi government, just Renzi," said Grillo in interviews with several Italian dailies. Already Italy's second-biggest party, the M5S is among a number of Euroskeptic parties across Europe expected to do well at EP elections in May. Grillo's admittedly populist appeal helped launch the party to national prominence in last year's general election on an anti-austerity ticket. "When you start touching people's pensions, people don't vote for you anymore," said Grillo, commenting on Renzi's plan to cut top-bracket social-security payments. The comedian-turned-politician said the M5S platform was to "say no" to the fiscal compact, an EU treaty that imposes budget discipline on EU members if their deficits become too high.

"We'll propose eurobonds," he added, referring to bonds issued at an EU level. "And we'll win if we seat just one MEP more than the PD".