New social and political movements from radically different
political positions are emerging across Europe using social
media, posing a new challenge to existing political parties and
structures. The Pirate Party in Germany and the Occupy movement
are examples of movements that have employed social media to
grow rapidly and create a significant political and social
impact – all in the last three years.
Beppe Grillo, the Italian comedian and blogger, is one of the
first political figures to have embraced this change. He has
used social media to communicate, recruit and organise, growing
the Moviment 5 Stelle from practically nothing to a major
political force in Italy in the space of three years, with it
expected to play a crucial role in the 2013 Italian elections.
His anti-establishment message has resonated with many against a
backdrop of declining trust in political institutions, falling
political party membership and ever-lower voter turnout.
This report presents the results of a survey of 1,865 Facebook
fans of Beppe Grillo and the Movimento 5 Stelle. It includes
data on who they are, what they think, and what motivates them
to shift from virtual to real-world activism. It also compares
them with other similar parties in Western Europe and their
attitudes to those of the Italian population. This report is the
seventh in a series of country specific briefings about the
online support of populist parties across Europe.