The head of Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement said it was joining forces at the upcoming Brussels elections with four other parties to offer an alternative to traditional politics.
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), Italy's Luigi Di Maio said.
The objective is "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," the new group's literature said.
Di Maio said the group, which vows to prioritise direct democracy and the fight against corruption, is still looking for another two members.
A quorum of 25 MPs from seven EU member states is needed to form a European parliamentary group.
The Five Star Movement, part of Italy's ruling coalition, is currently part of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group in Brussels.
