M5S, Gubitosa against Grillo: “Father master, the only one to guarantee himself a lifelong role”

Total, or almost total, break between Giuseppe Conte and Beppe Grillo after the latest post by the M5S guarantor. “Beppe speaks like a father-master, but he cannot stop the votes on the symbol and double mandate. The logo of the Movement belongs to the Association chaired by Conte” and the consultancy contract of 300 thousand euros per year could be interrupted if Grillo continues with his “destructive polemic” against the current leaders. Interviewed by Adnkronos, the vice president of the 5 Star Movement Michael Gubitosa – a staunch supporter of Giuseppe Conte – ‘warns’ the guarantor and co-founder of the Movement in view of the constituent assembly.

In his post today, Grillo cites the statute of the Movement (art. 12, letter a number 2) and as guarantor and guardian of the values ​​of the M5S declares that there are immutable elements that “must remain as such”: does Grillo have the power to stop the vote on issues such as name, symbol and rule of the double mandate? “Absolutely not”, replies Gubitosa. “The role of guarantor – explains the deputy – allows him to express simple recommendations, such as moral suasion, which have no legal value. The assembly remains sovereign and Grillo cannot in any way stop the voting of members, nor contest the results”.

The crux of the second mandate

As for the second term, then, “the situation is at least bizarre”, observes Gubitosa: “That rule had already been modified well before Conte’s arrival and it was decided in a room by a handful of people, without anyone appealing to the orthodoxy of the rules on that occasion. The so-called ‘zero mandate’ was created, a common sense modification that also allowed us to count on added values ​​for our politics at a local level, as happened for example with Virginia Raggi in Campidoglio”.

Grillo speaks of the “work of demolition” underway in the M5S with the refoundation desired by Conte. How do you judge the words of the ‘Elevated’? “From someone who sets himself up as a defender of the original Movement, the one that started from participation from below, this drift towards a master-type power is particularly curious. A structure in which only he has the possibility of making changes to the rules and the voice of the members no longer counts for anything”, attacks Gubitosa. “Grillo accuses Conte of wanting to destroy the Movement just when the president is questioning himself and giving the floor to his members. It doesn’t seem to me that the guarantor has had the same courage. He speaks like a father master, from the height of the only position that resists every phase of the Movement. Has he ever thought of questioning himself, he who speaks of mandates and is the only one who has guaranteed himself a role for life?”, insists the Five Star vice president.

“Grillo attacks are breach of contract”

The clash between Grillo and Conte is total. Does it make sense for the M5S to continue to maintain the 300 thousand euro per year consultancy contract with the guarantor? “If the contract that was stipulated is respected, if Grillo decides to give us the communication support that was the basis of that agreement, then so be it. It would certainly be an added value of great importance. If instead he has changed his mind, does not respect the contract and on the contrary takes every possible opportunity to start a destructive controversy for the Movement – warns Gubitosa – then I do not know if it is legally possible to continue, as it is clear that we are in the presence of a breach of contract. Perhaps, at that point, it would be more useful to use those resources for purposes more useful for the Movement, such as for our offices in the territory”.

If the paths of the M5S and Grillo were to definitively separate after the constituent assembly, would the 5 Star symbol return to the full availability of Grillo or would ownership remain in the hands of the party president, i.e. Conte? “The attacks on this point are surprising, because both the name and the symbol are registered to the current Association. And Beppe Grillo has already expressly renounced any possible dispute in this regard. The name and the symbol, therefore, belong to the new Association, which is chaired by Conte, and to all members of the Movement”, concludes the vice president of the M5S. (by Antonio Atte)