Italian protest party leader Beppe Grillo on Thursday told AFP he would export his brand of anti-establishment politics to Europe in a "revolution without the guillotine -- for now". The wild-haired ex-comedian, who has shaken Italian politics by winning a quarter of the vote in February elections, said he was not afraid of being called a "clown" and called into question the future of the euro.

Italian protest party leader Beppe Grillo on Thursday told AFP he would export his brand of anti-establishment politics to Europe in a "revolution without the guillotine -- for now". The tousle-haired former comedian, who has shaken Italy's political system by winning a quarter of the vote in February elections, said he was not afraid of being called a "clown" and called into question the future of the euro.

By James Mackenzie ROME (Reuters) - Beppe Grillo, leader of Italy's 5-Star Movement, accused parliamentarians in his group who defied party orders over a secret ballot of lying and told them to "take the consequences", sparking furious online debate among his followers. In the first sitting of parliament since February's inconclusive election, a handful of Senators from the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement cast their ballots with the centre-left in an election to choose the new speaker, despite instructions to cast a blank vote.

Beppe Grillo, head of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement that has rocked Italian politics, said on Wednesday Italy was already essentially out of the euro but denied being anti-European. In an interview with German business daily Handelsblatt, Grillo said: "Italy is de facto already out of the euro. The country is on its knees." "The northern European countries are only holding onto us until their banks have reclaimed their investments in Italian sovereign bonds. Then they'll drop us like a hot potato," said Grillo in comments published in German.