Brussels – “Emma Bonino never waited for the world to be ready”; on the contrary, “she always chose to forge ahead, showing others the way.” This is how the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has remembered the historic Radical Party figure, who passed away this morning (11 September) following a respiratory crisis. “The Europe for which she fought will miss her,” the President reiterated.
Following the death of Emma Bonino, “we have lost one of the most courageous, independent, and consistent voices in the defence of human rights,” said MEP (M5S) Carolina Morace. The Five Star Movement MP emphasised that “even in dark and difficult times,” the founder of the +Europa party was able to show “all of us how to forge a path towards upholding rights in Italy and Europe.” Among Bonino’s political and civic commitments, Morace highlighted “the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy, the campaign for the legalisation of abortion, the fight against female genital mutilation, and a foreign policy based on respect for international law and the rights of LGBTQ+ people.”
The MEP for Renew Europe and Secretary-General of the European Democratic Party, Sandro Gozi, described the Radical Party leader as “a great friend and one of the freest, clearest, and bravest voices in our Europe.” She, who has served in both the European and Italian parliaments, believed in “a democratic and federal Europe, strong enough to defend freedom and protect civil rights and human dignity; and brave enough to one day become the United States of Europe.” This is not “an abstract ideal”, the MEP emphasised, but “a lifelong political struggle, waged with extraordinary determination, intelligence, and passion.” For Gozi, therefore, “Emma leaves us with something precious: the conviction that freedom is never won once and for all, that Europe must always be built and rebuilt, and that the battles worth fighting require courage, perseverance, and hope.”
MEP (S&D), Lucia Annunziata, took to her LinkedIn profile to highlight a specific phase in Bonino’s career: her role as European Commissioner for Consumer Protection under the Commission led by the Luxembourger Jacques Louis Santer. “She showed Italians something that was rarely seen: an Italian politician who commanded respect in Europe, who became a leader, who wielded real influence and power,” explained the MEP. She went on to point out that Bonino “did not belong to any church, political or religious,” a trait that “allowed her to be a free politician,” and for this reason “she was appreciated even by those who did not share her views.”
Although coming “from different political backgrounds and sensibilities, and despite having held differing views on many issues,” the European Parliament member for the People’s Party (EPP) and chair of Forza Italia’s National Council, Letizia Moratti, stated that she recognised in Bonino “the strength of her convictions, her consistency, and an extraordinary sense of institutional duty.” In expressing her condolences, Moratti painted a picture of a “free, courageous, and tenacious woman, who fought passionately for her ideas throughout her life.” A determination she also demonstrated while battling her illness, as she continued “to participate in public life right up to the very end.”
A final tribute was also paid during the briefing at the press conference to present next week’s plenary session at the European Parliament. “We mourn the passing of a figure who served as a Member of the European Parliament in our group and was a leading figure in Italian liberalism,” said the spokesperson for the Renew Group, Linda Aziz-Rohlje.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
