Italian feminist pioneer Emma Bonino dies at 78

Emma Bonino, a leading figure in Italy’s feminist and liberal movements, died on Friday at the age of 78 after a prolonged fight with an aggressive form of lung cancer. The former European commissioner and foreign minister was widely respected across the political spectrum.

Her death prompted statements from politicians ranging from the president of the European Parliament to the country’s far‑right prime minister.

“Today we lose not only our leader but also one of the most clear‑sighted, courageous and free figures in the political history of our country,”

read a post from the More Europe party on Facebook.

A lifetime of activism

Born on a farm in Bra in 1948, Bonino earned a degree in foreign languages and literature from Milan’s Bocconi University before joining the Radical Party. A personal encounter with a gynecologist who told her she was sterile led her to seek an illegal abortion at age 27. The experience ignited a crusade that saw her accompany women to clandestine clinics, organise hunger strikes and help found the Centre for Information, Sterilisation and Abortion (CISA) in 1975.

Her parliamentary career began in 1976, and she later served as European Consumer Protection Commissioner (1994‑99) and as Italy’s minister for international trade and European affairs (2006‑08) before becoming foreign minister (2013‑14). In 2018 she launched the More Europe movement, championing migrant rights and deeper EU integration.

Political legacy and reactions

Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, said: “The Europe she fought for will miss her”. Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, acknowledged Bonino’s significance despite stark policy differences, recalling that Bonino had once warned voters they were choosing “between two different visions of Italy”.

Former prime minister Paolo Gentiloni had previously noted Bonino’s high standing in opinion polls, where she once trailed only him. In her final months, after a hospital stay for respiratory issues, she received a surprise visit from Pope Francis, a meeting that highlighted her cross‑ideological appeal on migrant rights.

Bonino’s death closes a chapter on a career that combined legislative achievements, from legalising abortion to campaigning against the death penalty, with a relentless push for civil liberties. Her influence will likely endure in the policies she helped shape and in the new generation of activists she inspired.

As Italy and the EU reflect on her contributions, the challenge remains to sustain the progressive reforms she championed, especially in a political climate increasingly marked by polarization.