Emma Bonino Dies at 78: Veteran Italian Radical Leader and Politician

Emma Bonino passed away at the age of 78 following a period of declining health and recent hospitalizations. The Radical movement announced her death, paying tribute to her as one of the most courageous and free figures in political history.

Born in Bra on March 9, 1948, Bonino spent decades on the front lines of Italian and European politics. Alongside Marco Pannella, she became a defining symbol of the Radical Party and its numerous civil rights campaigns starting in the 1970s.

“Emma has left us but 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.”

Throughout her extensive public career, Bonino served in multiple high-ranking institutional roles. She worked as an Italian parliamentarian, European commissioner, government minister, and vice president of the Senate.

Her political legacy is marked by fierce advocacy for human rights, international justice, and civil liberties. She campaigned against clandestine abortion, world hunger, authoritarianism, and tirelessly championed a united, federal Europe.

Bonino had been hospitalized at Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome following respiratory issues. Despite an initial recovery from her latest respiratory crisis, her condition remained extremely grave until her passing.