They are a populist party lead by a secretive internet marketing firm. They started off by copying a lot of ideas from the Pirates like online voting etc withou

They are a populist party lead by a secretive internet marketing firm. They started off by copying a lot of ideas from the Pirates like online voting etc without the egalitarian spirit, and with an ecologist slant. As the economic crisis hit, they started repositioning themselves as the party of popular anger at the establishment. In the EU parliament they sit with UKIP and far right parties. They are everything to everyone - anti immigration when they talk to the right wing electorate, ecologists when they talk to the left. They make a big song and dance about removing politicians' privileges, even though they just campaigned to NOT reduce the number of Senators! Think Donald Trump meets the Pirate party. The Spectator has a good article about them http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/06/beppe-grillos-m5s-is-a-scientology-style-cult/ http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/06/beppe-grillos-m5s-is-a-sc... Don't make the mistake of thinking the referendum was a victory by them though; there were a LOT of people against Renzi, including half of his own party (who openly campaigned against him)