A surprise initiative to transfer the 17 Italian MEPs from the Five Star Movement (M5s) in the Eurosceptic EFDD group to the pro-European ALDE Group at the European Parliament had been strung together by the former Italian comedian Beppe Grillo and several leaders from the liberal group, including Sophie in't Veld from the Netherlands. It provoked such controversy, however, among MEPs from M5s, as well as those in the liberal family, that the leader of the ALDE group, Guy Verhofstadt, was...