An ethics panel of the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) on Monday expelled from
the M5S a headline-grabbing Senator, Costa Concordia hero
Gregorio De Falco, for allegedly breaching the party line.
Another rebel Senator, Saverio De Bonis, was also ejected
from the populist movement.
The panel also ejected MEPs Marco Valli and Giulia Moi for
the same reason.
For a third Senator, Lello Ciampolillo, the panel settled for
a reprimand.
M5S leader Luigi Di Maio, the deputy premier and industry and
labour minister, said "those who don't back the government
contract are out".
"There must be respect for the rules, at the cost of sending
everyone home", said the populist leader.
De Falco, a vote catcher in the March 4 general election for
his former role as hero of the Costa Concordia disaster, and the
others have failed to toe the party line on a number of
measures.
De Falco called his ejection "wrong and unconstitutional".
He said he hoped the M5S "will correct this grave error"
which "punishes freedom of opinion and of voting in contrast
with the safeguards given to MPs by article 68".
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