Beppe Grillo

“When you have a debt that's strangling you, you're not growing.”

“Europe was born with Jean Monnet but then was progressively transformed.”

“This world - the Western world - has failed. We must have a plan B. We're the plan B.”

“The ECB puts out money that is meant to help our banks, but they do not use it to finance our businesses, but they give it to them to buy back their debt, to help French and German banks.”

“I am in favour of a different Europe, where each state can adopt its fiscal and monetary system.”

“Left, right, populism... all are meaningless concepts.”

“We are moderate, beautiful people, and we are the only thing left standing between Italy and the real extremists.”

“We want to destroy everything, not rebuild on the same rubble. We have different ideas. It is like any work. You have to have a clean slate. Then, you have a programme, a new way of thinking. It is a way of thinking. Not a restoration. Parties out. Citizens instead of parties.”

“It is the Internet that changes: the Internet is not just a language; it modifies relationships, the way we look at the world.”

“Italy has turned its back on its political class, and a new language of community, identity, and honesty is filling the gap.”

“I'm so proud of being a populist!”

“One of our main objectives is to restore meritocracy within research and academia, where cronyism is also widespread. We also want to give money back to public research that is dying.”

“Israel is frightening. Its behaviour is irresponsible.”

“We've delegated politics to bankers. The European Central Bank is inside Deutsche Bank, and Deutsche Bank is inside the Bundesbank.”

“I threw my TV out years ago.”

“Vaccines have played a fundamental role in eradicating terrible illnesses such as polio, diphtheria, and hepatitis. However, they bring a risk associated with side-effects that are usually temporary and surmountable... but, in very rare cases, can be as severe as getting the same disease you're trying to be immune to.”

“I started using my blog to get information about cities I was about to visit, asking followers what the main problems there were. Many mentioned misconduct of politicians and other things I wanted to talk about during my shows. Then, before a show in one city, local politicians called saying they would sue if I said something unpleasant.”

“5SM is an ecumenical movement.”

“My comedy routines have always been about the health of the nation.”

“From the Americans, I took the meet-up platform, from Howard Dean. He used it to gather money. I use it to gather information, to gather forums, not money. This we copied from the United States, the use of the Internet.”