Biography of Luca Coscioni

We release the genes

July 16, 1967
February 20, 2006
Luca Coscioni was born on July 16, 1967 in Orvieto. It is precisely from his hometown that leaves its political engagement when in 1995 he was elected municipal councillor. The same year he gets sick of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and decides to resign. He spent several years moving from one hospital to another, from one shelter to another, from hope to despair, until he was finally confirmed the initial diagnosis. In 1999 he decides to stand for local elections. This is the moment when it really starts to react to the disease and to renew the passion for politics that no longer had power. In July of the same year, surfing the internet, she discovered the site of radicals, www.radicali.it, and begins to take an interest in the initiatives and the history of this party with great interest and attention.
In April 2000 is candidate of the Bonino list in regional elections in Umbria. In August of 2000 the radicals launch online elections for electing 25 new members of the Coordination Committee of the radicals. Thus began his political adventure with Marco Pannella and Emma Bonino. In December of the same year, he was elected to the Committee and in February 2001 intervenes for the first time with his speaking controller during the Committee's work in Chianciano. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Committee adopts a motion that commits the movement in the battle for the freedom of scientific research. On February 13, 2001 Luca Coscioni intervenes at the hearing convened by the temporary Committee on human genetics and Biotechnology of the European Parliament, held in order to gather the views of those affected by genetic diseases.
His speech greatly affects the Commissioners and parliamentarians, lifting the European debate on therapeutic cloning and the use of stem cells of embryos. In the last general election Pannella and the direction of the radicals offer to Luca Coscioni being the leader Emma Bonino in proportional lists. Meanwhile the radical Committee unanimously elects him President. During the months of campaigning 48 Nobel Laureates and over 500 scientists and researchers from around the world support his candidacy bringing to public attention the secular comparison on issues until then never taken seriously by any political force. Luca Coscioni died on February 20, 2006: the sad news was given live at Radio Radicale by Marco Pannella.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.