Biography of Emma Bonino

Passionate commitment and sincere

March 9, 1948 member of the European Parliament, EU Commissioner for humanitarian aid already, consumer policy and fisheries Emma Bonino for over thirty years dealing with politics in ways that often sparked controversy. His career has in fact started in the mid-70 's with the fight for the legalization of abortion in Italy and subsequently for the affirmation of divorce and the legalization of soft drugs. Born on 9 March of 1948 in Bra (Cuneo), she graduated from Bocconi University in Milan in foreign languages and literatures, Emma Bonino, having begun his militancy in the radical party alongside Marco Pannella, founded in 1975 the Cisa (Information Centre, sterilization and abortion) and a year later she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. For the activity of Cisa, due to the relatively backward mentality still on these issues in the Italy of the time, undergoes an arrest. In 1979 he becomes member of the European Parliament (position he will be reconfirmed in 1984), and becomes a carrier for referendum battles brought by radicals, especially on issues of civil rights. Since the mid-1980s is also sponsoring, among the very few in Europe (being Italian policy more focused contention on internal aspects), of a series of international campaigns for human, civil and political rights in Eastern Europe. In 1991 he became President of the Transnational Radical Party and party and Party Secretary in ' 93. In 1994, upon the recommendation of the Berlusconi Government, was appointed European Commissioner for consumer policy and humanitarian aid. A choice that, just for the fact of having been supported by leaders of Forza Italy, aroused controversy, as many believed the collaboration with the industrialist as a betrayal of radical politics. But Emma plays the mission with passion and courage and win international acclaim thanks to its capacity. On 27 September 1997 is seized by the Taliban at a hospital in Kabul in Afghanistan where she had gone to check the operation of EU humanitarian aid. Is released after four hours and charges around the world the terrible living conditions of Afghan women. In 1999 it was autocandidata for the Presidency of the Republic. A singular and unlikely location (no direct election of the President), supported by a campaign pounding that helped her get an unexpected success in the European elections of that year with a remarkable 9 per cent. Despite this, he did it not to be confirmed in the new European Commission headed by Romano Prodi, Mario Monti is preferred. Is coming out of retirement on the national stage, always on the side of Pannella, but regional elections of April 16, 2000 the Lista Bonino loses much of the vote stopping at 2 percent. Emma Bonino, character of iron, not discouraged. Indeed, together with Pannella, stainless promotes a series of referendums on various issues, ranging from the labour market to unions, by the judiciary to the electoral system. Laudable and courageous initiatives that are not rewarded by voters: indeed, referendums May 21, 2000 capsize inexorably because of failure to reach the quorum. A failure that will pronounce bitter words to Bonino, convinced that with what is also over a precise political season, one that was precisely the referendums and citizen involvement. However, are incumbent on the policies of 2001, at which the Bonino list looks alone obtaining consents not very encouraging, only 2.3 percent of the vote. On the other hand, the positions expressed by Emma Bonino are rarely conciliation and indeed often are at odds with what you would want is the common feeling, especially in a country like Italy. For example, recently objected to the Vatican for the Catholic Church's decision against experiments on stem cells (that would give hope of healing to people suffering from various diseases), manifesting in front of St. Peter's with placards containing slogan from someone deemed blasphemous as "No Taliban. No Vatican ". On the other hand, there are highly appreciated international initiatives in the world. Always recently, she traveled with Marco Pannella in Zagreb where the Minister Tonino Picula presented him with the honors for the commitment from them proved in 1991 when supported the Croatian fight for independence. From Zagreb are then left for Tirana to Radical Party Congress where Emma Bonino then moved to Cairo where he has lived for some time. Due to its strongly liberal positions, Emma Bonino is in short to incarnate, along with all the radical party and its leader Marco Pannella, one of the most interesting, albeit minority and just listen, policy alternatives in Europe. Emma Bonino also represents the extraordinary strength of women in politics: her commitment, her dedication, her passion contributed to a huge increase in the country in terms of human and civil rights. In May 2006 she was named Minister for European Affairs in the Prodi government. During the elections in April 2008 he was elected to the Senate as a candidate and candidate of the Democratic Party in Piedmont, on the basis of an agreement between Democrats and radicals within the Radical delegation in PD. On May 6, 2008 she was elected Vice-President of the Senate. Subsequently edited and published a book on raising and equalization of the retirement age for women, entitled "Pensioner will she-women, gender equality and economic crisis" (March 2009). In 2010 launches his candidacy for President of the Lazio region, supported by radicals and subsequently by the Democratic Party and other left-wing parties. The election saw defeat for only 1.7 percentage points from Renata Polverini, candidate of the people of freedom. At the end of April 2013 Emma Bonino was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Government.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.