ROME -- Five Star Movement MPs voted 'yes' Monday to leaving Farage’s EFDD group in Strasbourg and joining the strongly pro-Europe ALDE LibDems, despite Grillo's initial call to vote sparking polemics within the movement.

 The radical Five Star Movement's leader Beppe Grillo called for a vote on his online blog Sunday, giving MPs until midday Monday to decide the movement’s future in the European Parliament. The result was an overwhelming 'yes' to the move, desptie initial controversy within the party as MPs were not told about the decision to call a vote.

 Grillo wrote on his blog that "40,654 certified members participated -- 78.5 percent voted in favour of the move to ALDE, equal to 31,914 members. 6,444 voted to stay with EFDD and 2,296 voted to join those not part of any group."

 M5S was part of EFDD -- whose nature has changed, according to Grillo -- so the vote was between staying with EFDD, which Farage’s party UKIP is part of, choosing the strongly pro-Europe group ALDE, or not joining any group -- which Grillo advised was the same as not being counted for decisions.

 The M5S leader said that ALDE are “the only ones to open dialogue with us.” He wrote on his blog that “ALDE has 68 European MPs and with the presence of the M5S, it would become the third force in the European Parliament, thus being able to gain more weight in the decisions they make.”

 “This means becoming the needle on the scales -- with our vote we can make a difference and have a bearing on the result of many important decisions to oppose the European establishment. We do not renounce our past ideas, but we take on new challenges with greater determination,” Grillo continued.

 The decision had sparked controversy with M5S’s 17 MEPs, many of whom lamented the fact that they knew nothing of the decision. Some Italian newspapers said that the Five Star Movement’s leader has become pro-EU to get more funds.

 “This is an incredible pro-EU turnaround from Grillo! For just a few more seats in Brussels, the M5S abandon a Eurosceptic group to enter into ALDE, the group who is most favourable towards the Europe of the Euro, of banks, of lobbying and of immigration,” said far-right Lega Nord politician Matteo Salvini.

 Democratic party politician Marina Berlinghieri said that "after the employment of millions of euros of public funds from Chamber and Senate groups, now the Five Star Movement wants also to use Europe as a piggybank for its own party. Beppe Grillo's sharp turn serves to cash in almost 700,000 euros a year of public funds for use in Ttaly's political initiatives. Grillo himself confirmed this on his blog."

 UKIP’s Nigel Farage said before the vote that “Grillo is getting into an alliance with the pro-European extremists -- he will for sure lose consensus.” Post-vote result, Farage said that the M5S support for ALDE "will not last long -- in political terms it would be completely illogical for the M5S to join the most Eurofanaticgroup of the European Parliament."

 On announcing the affirmative result on his blog, Grillo said a goodbye to Farage -- "our paths have divided," explaining that the movement decided to join a neew group in order to "be able to confront the upcoming challenges with better focus."

 According to British press, Farage will lose about 2 million euros in European contributions due to the M5S's move to ALDE.

 The radical leader will meet Monday afternoon with the movement's 17 MEPs in Brussels. 

 nkd