Foreign Minister and 5-Star
Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio expressed scorn on Thursday
after Senator Ugo Grassi left the M5S to join Matteo Salvini's
rightwing League party.
Salvini announced Grassi had joined the League after the
latter rebelled against the government in a vote on the European
Stability Mechanism (ESM) on Wednesday.
"If there are other Senators like Grassi they shouldn't use
something fake like the ESM (as an excuse)," Di Maio said.
"They should say that they want to change sides and betray
the mandate the citizens gave them.
"There's nothing wrong with it.
"But they should go back home or put up a cattle market price
list".
Di Maio said the driving factor of the switch was the
obligation for M5S lawmakers to give back a slice of their
salaries to finance good causes and the movement's two-term
limit for its elected representatives.
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