Mr. Smith went to Washington. Carlo Sibilia has come to Rome.
The 27-year-old elevator salesman, who has no experience in political office, arrived in the Italian capital this month with 162 other freshman legislators from the Five Star Movement, a Web-based force whose success in recent elections has the newcomers suddenly bidding arrivederci to politics as usual in Italy.
For 60 million Italians and political junkies of every stripe, the triumphs of a movement encompassing disenfranchised voters from both the left and the right — think the tea party, if it included everyone from Michael Moore to Rush Limbaugh — are a thrilling example of the power of grass roots. In a country known for lawmakers in custom-made suits with CEO salaries and a penchant for Machiavellian backroom deals, the newcomers include geologists, steelworkers and homemakers seeking to end the days of "la dolce vita" for Europe's most privileged political class.
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