Italian politics is in mourning: Emma Bonino has died at the age of 78.
+Europa announced this in a statement, which reads: "Emma has left us, but she will never leave us. Today, not only our leader leaves us, but one of the most lucid, courageous, and free protagonists in the political history of our country and the free world leaves us."
"Emma," +Europa continues, "was chosen by radical politics when a ban changed her young life. And from that moment, she decided she would fight to ensure it never happened to anyone again. Activist, parliamentarian, minister, European Commissioner. Always radically free."
Bonino, born in Bra (Cuneo) on March 9, 1948, had been admitted to intensive care at the Santo Spirito hospital in Rome in recent days for a respiratory crisis and was transferred to a private facility yesterday.
CONDOLENCES – Many messages of condolence followed the news, among the first that of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni : «Emma Bonino has represented a strong and recognisable voice in Italian politics for decades, pursuing her ideas with determination», she wrote on social media the President of the Council. Adding: "Our histories and our sensitivities have been distant, but this has never stopped me from recognizing her weight and role in the public life of our nation . My condolences go to her family and loved ones." The Prime Minister also announced that for Bonino: "We are arranging a state funeral."
"Emma Bonino never waited for the world to be ready. She always chose to move forward, showing the way for others. This is how she will be remembered in Italy and in Brussels, where she served as a Member of the European Parliament and as a European Commissioner. The Europe she fought for will miss her," said Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament.
THE BATTLES – In announcing her passing, Più Europa also retraced the political life of the historic leader – together with her friend Marco Pannella – of the Italian Radicals. "Her life," writes Più Europa, "was a long struggle against everything that denies freedom: against clandestine abortion, against world hunger, against party politics, against female genital mutilation, against justicialism, against genocide, against every form of authoritarianism . But even more numerous were her battles for: democracy, for the rule of law, for international justice, for the rights and duties of every person and every family, for women's self-determination, for the freedom to choose, until the end. And for a united, democratic, and federal Europe: the United States of Europe. This," Più Europa concludes, "is her testament : it doesn't matter how many times you have to lose before you can win and achieve freedom for all. There are no words to describe the pain and emptiness we feel today. Starting tomorrow, we'll try to find the right words to transform the gratitude we feel for having been able to fight alongside her into the courage to keep fighting as she taught us. Thank you, Emma, from the bottom of our hearts.
TODDE – Sardinia Regional Governor Alessandra Todde also expressed her condolences for the passing of the historic Radical leader: "With Emma Bonino, one of the most authoritative figures in Italian and European public life has passed away, a protagonist of decades of political and civic commitment in defense of rights, individual freedoms, and human dignity," Todde said. "Her career," she added, "will continue to be a guiding light for those who consider politics a tool at the service of individuals and the community."
(Unioneonline/lf)