Di Maio said the M5S will run in the May election with Croatia’s populist party Zivi Zid (Human Shield), Poland’s anti-establishment Kukiz’15, Finland’s liberal Liike Nyt and Greece’s Akkel (the Agricultural Livestock Party).
Di Maio said the newfound group, which claims to offer an alternative to traditional politics, is still on the search for two more members.
A quorum of 25 MPs from seven EU member states is needed to form a European parliamentary group.
The group vows to prioritise direct democracy and the fight against corruption, and “to attract movements that do not feel part of right-wing nationalist parties, nor of traditional parties that have been part of the EU Parliament for 20 years”, according to its literature.
M5S, which makes up half of Italy’s ruling coalition, is currently part of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group in Brussels.
