Longtime critic of the Eurozone’s destructive commitment to austerity, Italian comedian-turned-political activist Beppe Grillo has launched what one news outlet called a “full-throated attack” on the single currency, saying his country should throw off that “anti-democratic straitjacket” by nationalizing its banks and taking a stronger stance against the demands of elite financial interests.
Grillo, who the Guardian says “transformed Italian politics when he launched his anti-establishment Five Star Movement in 2009,” called for Italy to exit the Euro in order to guard against the threat of bankruptcy and German-imposed austerity.
In comments written at his blog, Grillo criticized Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras while comparing Germany’s conduct during recent bailout negotiations to “explicit Nazism.” He said that in the wake of the Greek crisis, Italy should be prepared to use its whopping debt as a weapon against foreign creditors.
The Guardian explains: