Grillo predicts IMF bailout for Italy

(ANSA) - Rome, July 30 - Beppe Grillo, the leader of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, on Wednesday predicted that Italy would need an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout by the end of the year and said he doubted Premier Matteo Renzi would stay in office until Christmas.
    In a long entry in his popular blog, which gave life to the Internet-based M5S in 2009, Grillo outlined why he believes the government's budget forecasts are wrong and said he sees dramatic consequences.
    "A perfect storm awaits us in the autumn," comedian-turned-politician Grillo wrote. "The forecasts go from an optimistic (?) budget adjustment of 24 billion euros to a catastophic 40-billion one.
    "Where will Renzie find the money? In our pockets," Grillo added, using his nickname for Renzi that refers to supposed similarities with the TV character Fonzie.
    "In December the IMF will come with a panettone Christmas cake (who knows if Renzie will eat it)". Italy is still struggling to recover from its longest postwar recession - the second downturn since the global economic crisis started in 2008.
    Grillo also predicted that Italy would endure a financial crisis last year, but this did not occur.