Key facts
- Emma Bonino, a prominent Italian politician and advocate for abortion rights, has died at the age of 78.
- Bonino played a key role in campaigns that led to the legalization of divorce and abortion in Italy.
- She served as a European commissioner in the 1990s, increasing humanitarian aid to conflict-affected regions.
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni acknowledged Bonino's significant role in public life despite ideological differences.
- More Europe party leader Riccardo Magi described Bonino as 'radically free' and a fighter for freedoms.
- Carlo Calenda called her 'the last great protagonist of the civil battles that led to the modernization of this country.'
Emma Bonino, a prominent Italian politician, civil rights activist, and advocate for abortion access, has died at the age of 78. Known for her courage and determination, Bonino played a pivotal role in the campaigns that led to the legalization of divorce and abortion in Italy during the 1970s, often against Vatican objections. She co-founded the liberal More Europe party in 2017. Bonino also served as a European commissioner in the 1990s, where she increased humanitarian aid to regions affected by conflicts such as the Balkans, Rwanda, and Afghanistan. Politicians from across the spectrum, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Riccardo Magi, and Carlo Calenda, paid tribute to her legacy.