Beppe Grillo stokes outrage by comparing Italian PM to Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz – 'If we let him go on there will be no survivors'

'If we let him go on there will be no survivors'

Beppe Grillo, the leader of the 'Five-Star Movement' (Getty Images)

Beppe Grillo has sparked outrage by comparing the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to the co-pilot who intentionally downed a plane with 150 people on board in a picture appearing to show Mr Renzi leaning out of a Germanwings plane.

The controversial Italian comedian and leader of the Five Star Movement was condemned for using such a horrific event to criticise his political opponent after Grillo tweeted a cartoon showing Renzi in a Germanwings aircraft.

The manipulated image had “only one man in charge” written across it and was tweeted with the hashtag “#FermiamoRenzi”, or “stop Renzi”. In a caption for the tweet, he also wrote: “We must stop Renzi while there is still time. If we let him go on there will be no survivors, only ‘pieces.’”

The tweet was blasted as tasteless by shocked Twitter users, particularly as it came just a day after prosecutors said the airline’s co-pilot "intentionally" set the plane into descent.

In an accompanying blog post translated by The Independent, Grillo claimed Italy would only realise that Renzi is driving the country towards disaster at the last minute, comparing it to the situation faced by passengers on the Airbus.

“Passengers of the Airbus only realised at the last minute that the co-pilot was taking them to disaster, after eight long minutes,” he said.

“Italy will also understand at the last minute, when there will be nothing left to do. We have seen in the past a lone man in charge, and it was not a pretty sight.

“However, there is one difference between the co-pilot and the former mayor of Florence: the co-pilot was depressed, but not the passengers. Renzi is not depressed, but Italians are.