Rome, Sept 12:
Emma Bonino, the veteran Italian politician and civil rights campaigner who played a major role in battles for abortion and divorce rights, has died at the age of 78.
Her party, +Europa, announced her death on Friday. Bonino had been hospitalised earlier in the week in serious condition. She was later moved out of intensive care and transferred to a private clinic, but her condition subsequently worsened.
Bonino entered politics after a deeply personal experience. At the age of 26, she became pregnant and underwent an abortion at a time when the procedure was illegal in Italy. The experience prompted her to campaign for legal reform.
In 1975, she helped establish an organisation that provided information on contraception, sterilisation and abortion. She also publicly acknowledged having undergone an illegal abortion, turning the issue into a political campaign.
The movement eventually contributed to the legalisation of abortion in Italy in 1978. Bonino subsequently became one of the most prominent figures of the Radical Party, which challenged the influence of the Catholic Church and Italy’s traditional political establishment.
Her political career spanned more than five decades. She served in the Italian Parliament and European Parliament and held several ministerial positions, including foreign minister. She was also a European Commissioner in the 1990s, handling portfolios including humanitarian aid, consumer affairs and fisheries.
Bonino campaigned on a wide range of issues, including women’s rights, migrant rights, opposition to the death penalty, the fight against female genital mutilation and humanitarian causes.
She also became known internationally for her work in conflict zones and for advocating greater European integration. In 2017, she co-founded +Europa, a party that promoted European unity and liberal values.
Bonino remained an outspoken political voice even after her electoral influence declined. She continued to appear frequently in the Italian media and comment on national and international affairs.
Her political differences with conservative leaders did not prevent her from earning respect across Italy’s political spectrum. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute to her, acknowledging Bonino’s importance in Italian public life.
Bonino also had a notable relationship with Pope Francis despite their differences over several issues. The Pope visited her at her home in 2024 after she suffered a serious health episode.
Bonino never married and did not have children, saying that this was a personal choice. She remained active in public life despite health problems in her later years.
Her death marks the end of a long political career defined by campaigns for individual freedom, civil liberties and social reform.