Beppe Grillo told a protest at the Pantheon “the State no longer exists” and warned supporters to watch out for independence movements across Italy.
Mr Grillo said: “The State no longer exists. The desire to be independent comes from all over the world, just watch Lombardy and Veneto.”
The comments come after the regions of Veneto and Lombardy overwhelmingly backed more independence in a recent referendum and other regions expressed a desire for more autonomy from Rome.
Northern region Emilia-Romagna will demand further autonomy without holding a referendum, while southeastern Puglia is also viewed as a likely candidate for greater independence.
The rise in greater independence in Italy comes as the Spanish region of Catalonia fights to become an independent republic outside of control from Madrid but is facing the possibility that centralised control could be imposed by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
Earlier today Italy’s Senate approved a new electoral system that is expected to handicap the anti-establishment 5 Star Movement at a forthcoming national election and favour mainstream political blocs.
The bill has already been approved by the lower house thanks to a battery of confidence motions and now only needs a green light from the head of state to become law.
Italy’s voting system, which is a mix of proportional representation and first-past-the-post, should benefit parties that form pre-election coalitions – something the 5-Star has always ruled out.
However, opinion polls suggest that given current voting trends, the system will not throw up a clear-cut winner, meaning some form of coalition will probably be needed after the next elections, which are due by May 2018.
The polls suggest a hree-way split between the centre-left, centre-right and 5 Star
President Sergio Mattarella had called on Parliament to draw up a new law to harmonise the existing systems that risked throwing up different results in the two houses.
All previous attempts at reform fell foul of political infighting, but unexpectedly, the ruling Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi struck a deal with Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party over a revised voting system.
Giovanni Endrissi, the 5 Star leader in the Senate, said: “You are all the same. You don’t have any ideas or any policies, just the same mission: to keep hold of your seats and continue to squeeze the country dry.”
The rightist Northern League also backed the initiative.
The bill was approved by the Senate by 214 votes to 61.