From Meloni to Metsola. The political world bids farewell to Emma Bonino

A message from Più Europa broke the news to everyone. “Emma has left us, but she will never truly leave us. Today we have lost not only our leader, but also one of the most clear-sighted, courageous and free-spirited figures in the political history of our country and the free world.” Emma Bonino, the long-standing Radical Party leader, died today in Rome at the age of 78. She had been admitted to Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome on 7 September. Yesterday, she was discharged from the hospital’s intensive care unit and transferred to a private facility, following an agreement between her attending doctor and the medical staff at Santo Spirito. She was “an activist, MP, minister and European Commissioner. Always radically free – the party’s post continues – her life was a long struggle against everything that denies freedoms: against clandestine abortion, against world hunger, against party-based politics, against female genital mutilation, against the culture of retribution, against genocide, against all forms of authoritarianism”. 

As proceedings resumed in the Senate chamber, where voting on amendments to the electoral law is set to resume today, President Licia Ronzulli announced the death of Bonino, who was also Vice-President of the Senate. She then announced that President Ignazio La Russa, in agreement with the group leaders, had arranged for "a moment of remembrance as a mark of respect" at 11.00. The Senate then observed a minute’s silence in memory of the Radical Party leader. 

“The passing of Emma Bonino is a source of deep sorrow. She left her mark on the life of the Republic through her tenacious and consistent commitment,” said the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. “A radical, a liberal, a feminist and a staunch pro-European, she was a leading figure in movements and reforms that have shaped the course of our society. As a Member of Parliament, party leader, Minister for European Affairs and later Minister for Foreign Affairs, and European Commissioner, Emma Bonino was a leading figure not only in Italy: her work against world hunger, against the death penalty, and in support of the International Criminal Court were a source of pride for the Republic. In recent years – as the Head of State recalled – her priority was the unity and greater integration of the European Union: a legacy she entrusted to those who shared her vision and commitment. To her family and all those close to her, I extend my deepest thoughts of sympathy and solidarity.” 

From right to left, the political world (not just in Italy) pays tribute to the Radical Party leader. “For decades, Emma Bonino was a strong and recognisable voice in Italian politics, championing her ideas with determination,” wrote Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “Our backgrounds and outlooks may have been different, but this has never prevented me from recognising her influence and her role in our nation’s public life. My condolences go to her family and loved ones.” At a press conference in Vercelli, Meloni announced that she was “making arrangements for a state funeral for Emma Bonino”.

“Emma Bonino never waited for the world to be ready. She always chose to forge ahead, showing others the way. 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 for which she fought will miss her.” The message was posted on social media by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.

Antonio Tajani, leader of Forza Italia and Deputy Prime Minister, remembered Bonino as “one of the best-known figures of liberal radicalism. She was my colleague in Brussels, an intelligent woman with whom I always had a respectful and fair exchange of views, even though we often held different values and political views. We were united by a strong pro-European sentiment”, he wrote on X. “I will remember her for her commitment to the moratorium on the death penalty and to securing justice for all those women who have suffered female genital mutilation. My sincere condolences to her family and loved ones. May she rest in peace”, he added.

Emma Bonino, wrote Elly Schlein, secretary of the PD, on social media, “embodied all the qualities that should characterise those engaged in politics: rigour, seriousness, competence, determination, courage and passion. Throughout her entire life, she devoted herself tirelessly and selflessly to the promotion and defence of the rights of individuals and peoples. She taught us that the freedom of each and every one of us is the foundation of any truly civilised society. She taught us to look beyond our borders, to the peoples who are suffering and need protection – the statement continues –. She taught us that Europe, by striving for its genuine unity and its mission in the world, is our common home, which we must preserve from the attacks to which it is subjected. She taught us that democracy is as necessary as it is fragile, and requires all our care. With her passing, a piece of our country’s political and civic history is lost,” she concluded. “Farewell, Emma, thank you for everything you taught us. May the earth lie lightly upon you.”

According to Giuseppe Conte, Emma Bonino “has been intensely involved in politics, taking a leading role – with rare passion – in many battles for civil and social freedoms and rights that have shaped our country’s political and civil history”, wrote the leader of the M5S on social media. “Her commitment transcended national borders, contributing, amongst other things, to promoting: the establishment of the International Criminal Court and the abolition of the death penalty and the abhorrent practice of female genital mutilation. Together with the Five Star Movement community, we stand in solidarity with her loved ones and her comrades in political struggle, sharing in their grief,” he concluded.

“Emma Bonino has undoubtedly left her mark on our country’s political history. A woman of extraordinary courage and incredible strength, she helped to innovate the ways in which politics is conducted and dedicated her life and work to the cause of civil rights,” wrote AVS leader Nicola Fratoianni. “I have often found myself disagreeing with some of her views, but I have always recognised her authenticity and passion. A big hug to Più Europa and to Emma’s entire political community. We will miss her.” 

A tribute to the Radical Party leader also came from Marco Cappato, treasurer of the Coscioni Association. “She had by then stopped speaking out, getting angry and taking action, but only after her illness had worn her down to the point of exhaustion. For Emma, her passion for world affairs and for politics in the highest sense of the word was, in practical terms, inextricably linked in her daily life to her passion for life,” he stated in a note. “I join the many others who, even without ever having met her, are today feeling a sorrow that stems from a deep sense of gratitude, having felt her presence as a friend by their side during some of their important decisions. I would like to add my personal gratitude for her example, with her blunt manner, and for her brutal sincerity, which I experienced first-hand on the journey we undertook as Radical Party comrades – a journey marked by countless surmountable defeats and a few, but unforgettable, successes: one above all, the creation of the International Criminal Court.” Cappato recalled that “there were certainly clashes and misunderstandings amongst us, which drove us apart, but without undermining our respect and esteem for one another. To resist the worst that threatens to prevail, particularly in ‘her’ Europe,” he emphasised, “it will be useful and important to keep her memory alive in the only way possible: through new struggles for freedom, waged by people – regardless of their political persuasion – who are inspired by the tenacity, which she called ‘tigna’, with which she defended liberal democracy against the age-old, tragic illusions peddled by the new demagogues. Thank you, Emma,” he concluded.

“My relationship with Emma dates back a very long time,” wrote Roberto Calderoli, Minister for Regional Affairs and Autonomies. “I remember it was 1992, a political battle to get her elected as chair of the Chamber of Deputies’ Social Affairs Committee, with the support of us Northern League members too, but we fell short by a single vote. So many years have passed since then… Years in which we clashed and debated: I remember our long chats in the Chamber’s courtyard, smoking our cigarettes, both of us slaves to this nasty habit which I eventually kicked, but she didn’t,” recalled Calderoli. “I weep and remember the woman who was always at the forefront, ever since she was young, fighting her political battles in the service of the citizens and the country – difficult, revolutionary battles. She leaves behind an important political legacy, just like her mentor Pannella: people who entered politics with their hearts, for their ideals, without ever holding back. Farewell, Emma.” 

Condolences also from Paolo Gentiloni. “We will miss her example as a freedom fighter and as an Italian and European leader. She always wanted to change things. And sometimes she succeeded. Farewell, Emma,” wrote the former Prime Minister and European Commissioner on X. “Emma Bonino, the last great figure in the civil struggles that led to the modernisation of this country, has passed away,” commented Carlo Calenda, leader of Azione. A piece of Italian and European political history has passed away. On my own behalf and that of Azione, I express our sympathy to her political community and her family." With Bonino’s passing, noted Luca Zaia, President of the Veneto Regional Council, "we have lost a woman of extraordinary intelligence and a leading figure in Italian and European political life. A strong, independent personality, capable of pursuing her ideas with passion and consistency right to the end, even when it meant taking difficult, unconventional or unpopular stances. Yet she never lost her ability to listen, to engage in debate and to keep the lines of dialogue open, even with those who held different views," wrote the former governor of Veneto. “I believe her story deserves to be remembered and told, especially to young people and young women. Because it shows that politics can be civic passion, scholarship, the courage of one’s convictions, debate and style. One can be a leading figure without taking shortcuts; one can disagree without losing respect for one’s interlocutor; one can defend one’s beliefs for a lifetime whilst continuing to listen to others.”

"With Emma Bonino’s passing, we have lost one of the bravest women Italy has ever had," wrote M5S MP Chiara Appendino in a post on her social media channels. “She was a woman from Piedmont who did not seek easy approval. And for many women, even across different generations and with different political backgrounds, she was a rare role model: proof that you can be a leading figure in politics without ever ceasing to be yourself. That you can occupy a space in the public sphere with authority and without asking permission. That you can open up paths that others want to keep closed. “This is not rhetoric,” the MP continued, “it is the reality of a life spent fighting for rights when it really cost something to do so.”