Emma Bonino
Encyclopedia
Emma Bonino is an Italian politician
, former Member of the European Parliament
and current Member of the Italian Senate
. She is a leading member of the Italian Radicals
, a political party that supports economic and social libertarianism, and human rights
. She graduated in modern languages and literature from Bocconi University
in Milan
in 1972.
A veteran legislator in Italian politics and an activist for various reform policies, she was elected as one of four Vice Presidents of the Senate on 6 May 2008.
in 1976 and re-elected in 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1994 and 2006. In 1975, she founded the Information Centre on Sterilisation and Abortion and promoted the referendum which led to the legalisation of abortion
in Italy. In 1986, she was among the promoters of a referendum
against nuclear energy
that led to the rejection of a civil nuclear energy programme in Italy.
On 17 May 2006, Emma Bonino was appointed as Minister for International Trade in the cabinet of Romano Prodi
. She resigned from that office on 7 May 2008, as she had been elected Vice President of the Senate the previous day. In 2008, at the elections of April 13–14, she was elected to a seat in the Senate, the second parliamentary chamber, on the list of the Democratic Party
for the Piedmont constituency.
in 1979 and re-elected in 1984 and 1999. She served as the Secretary of the Transnational Radical Party
in 1993–94 and the party's president in 1991–1993. In October 1994, she was appointed Head of the Italian Government delegation to the UN General Assembly for the "Moratorium on death penalty" initiative. From 1994 to 1999, she was European Commissioner
responsible for Consumer Policy, Fisheries and the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO)
. In 1997, her field of competence was widened to include consumer health protection and food safety.
On 15 March 1999, together with all the Santer Commission
, she resigned due to the accusations of fraud and mismanagement against commissioner Edith Cresson
. The final report however leveled charges against most commissioners, including Bonino herself. In November 2002, she was appointed Head of the Italian Government delegation at the Inter-governmental Conference of the Community of Democracies in Seoul
.
Along with Marco Pannella
, another member of the Radical Party, Bonino has fought numerous battles for civil rights
and individual liberty, mainly concerned with divorce, the legalisation of abortion
, the legalisation of drugs, and for sexual and religious freedoms. She has fought for an end to capital punishment, against female genital mutilation, and the eradication of world hunger.
In June 1999, she obtained a historic percentage of votes (8.5%) in the European elections (vs. the usual 2–3% that Radicals got in the previous and subsequent elections). Her list (Lista Bonino) won seven of 78 Italian seats in this election. The first seven on the list were:
Еmma Bonino supported the NATO intervention in Kosovo in the Spring of 1999. From 1999 to 2004, the Lista Bonino was non-affiliated. Since 2004, it is part of the ALDE
group. In December 2001, she moved to Cairo
with the objective of learning the Arabic language and culture. In March 2003, she started a daily review of the Arabic press on Radical Radio. In January 2004, she organized the "Regional Conference on Democracy, Human Rights
and the role of the International Penal Court
", the first for an Arabic country. She is currently a Board member of the Arab Democracy Foundation
.
Bonino is a Board member of DARA (international organization).
Taking her background, one can infer she is a fervent pro-European, she reaffirmed it recently by signing the Soros
letter ('As concerned Europeans') and calling for a stronger European integration
.
, an award that honors individuals with accomplishment in the protection of human rights, pluralistic democracy, and improvement of North-South relations.
For her battles and engagements with controversial issues, her engagement in the promotion of human rights
and civil rights in the world, she received the "Open Society Prize 2004" and "Prix Femmes d'Europe 2004" for Italy.
Politics of Italy
The politics of Italy is conducted through a parliamentary, democratic republic with a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised collectively by the Council of Ministers, which is led by the President of the Council of Ministers, referred to as "Presidente del Consiglio" in Italian...
, former Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
and current Member of the Italian Senate
Italian Senate
The Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848...
. She is a leading member of the Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals
Italian Radicals is an Italian political party which describes itself as a liberale, liberista e libertario political movement .It was...
, a political party that supports economic and social libertarianism, and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
. She graduated in modern languages and literature from Bocconi University
Bocconi University
Bocconi University is a private university located in central Milan, beside Parco Ravizza. Bocconi provides undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate education, in addition to a range of double degree programs, in the fields of economics, management, finance and law. According to many university...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in 1972.
A veteran legislator in Italian politics and an activist for various reform policies, she was elected as one of four Vice Presidents of the Senate on 6 May 2008.
National political career
Bonino was elected to the Italian Chamber of DeputiesItalian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
in 1976 and re-elected in 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1994 and 2006. In 1975, she founded the Information Centre on Sterilisation and Abortion and promoted the referendum which led to the legalisation of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
in Italy. In 1986, she was among the promoters of a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
against nuclear energy
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
that led to the rejection of a civil nuclear energy programme in Italy.
On 17 May 2006, Emma Bonino was appointed as Minister for International Trade in the cabinet of Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008...
. She resigned from that office on 7 May 2008, as she had been elected Vice President of the Senate the previous day. In 2008, at the elections of April 13–14, she was elected to a seat in the Senate, the second parliamentary chamber, on the list of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Italy)
The Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in Italy, that is the second-largest in the country. The party is led by Pier Luigi Bersani, who was elected in the 2009 leadership election....
for the Piedmont constituency.
International political career
Bonino was elected to the European ParliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in 1979 and re-elected in 1984 and 1999. She served as the Secretary of the Transnational Radical Party
Transnational Radical Party
The Transnational Radical Party is a political association of citizens, parliamentarians and members of government of various national and political backgrounds who intend to use nonviolent means to create an effective body of international law with respect for individuals and the...
in 1993–94 and the party's president in 1991–1993. In October 1994, she was appointed Head of the Italian Government delegation to the UN General Assembly for the "Moratorium on death penalty" initiative. From 1994 to 1999, she was European Commissioner
European Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Member within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission...
responsible for Consumer Policy, Fisheries and the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO)
ECHO (European Commission)
The Humanitarian Aid department of the European Commission , formerly known as the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office, is the European Commission's department for overseas humanitarian aid...
. In 1997, her field of competence was widened to include consumer health protection and food safety.
On 15 March 1999, together with all the Santer Commission
Santer Commission
The Santer Commission was the European Commission in office between 23 January 1995 and 15 March 1999. The administration was led by Jacques Santer ....
, she resigned due to the accusations of fraud and mismanagement against commissioner Edith Cresson
Édith Cresson
Édith Cresson is a French politician. She was the first and so far only woman to have held the office of Prime Minister of France.- French Prime Minister :Cresson was appointed to the prime ministerial post by President François Mitterrand on 15 May 1991...
. The final report however leveled charges against most commissioners, including Bonino herself. In November 2002, she was appointed Head of the Italian Government delegation at the Inter-governmental Conference of the Community of Democracies in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Along with Marco Pannella
Marco Pannella
Giacinto Pannella, better known as Marco Pannella is an Italian politician.He is the historic leader of the Italian Radicals...
, another member of the Radical Party, Bonino has fought numerous battles for civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and individual liberty, mainly concerned with divorce, the legalisation of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, the legalisation of drugs, and for sexual and religious freedoms. She has fought for an end to capital punishment, against female genital mutilation, and the eradication of world hunger.
In June 1999, she obtained a historic percentage of votes (8.5%) in the European elections (vs. the usual 2–3% that Radicals got in the previous and subsequent elections). Her list (Lista Bonino) won seven of 78 Italian seats in this election. The first seven on the list were:
- Emma Bonino
- Marco PannellaMarco PannellaGiacinto Pannella, better known as Marco Pannella is an Italian politician.He is the historic leader of the Italian Radicals...
- Olivier Dupuis
- Marco CappatoMarco CappatoMarco Cappato is an Italian politician. He was a Member of the European Parliament from Italy until 2009. He represented the Lista Emma Bonino within the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe parliamentary group. He was Member of the Foreign Affairs, the Civil Liberties and Human Rights...
- Benedetto Della VedovaBenedetto Della VedovaBenedetto Della Vedova is an Italian politician, formerly the leader of Liberal Reformers, a minor liberal and libertarian party, and currently member of The Liberal Part, a liberal faction within the centre-right People of Freedom party.-Biography:His political experience began in 1994 with the...
- Maurizio Turco
- Gianfranco Dell'Alba
Еmma Bonino supported the NATO intervention in Kosovo in the Spring of 1999. From 1999 to 2004, the Lista Bonino was non-affiliated. Since 2004, it is part of the ALDE
Alde
Alde is a village in Suffolk, England.ALDE is also an auction house specialized in books, manuscripts and coins : ....
group. In December 2001, she moved to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
with the objective of learning the Arabic language and culture. In March 2003, she started a daily review of the Arabic press on Radical Radio. In January 2004, she organized the "Regional Conference on Democracy, Human Rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and the role of the International Penal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
", the first for an Arabic country. She is currently a Board member of the Arab Democracy Foundation
Arab Democracy Foundation
The Arab Democracy Foundation is an independent international Arab civil society organization advocating democracy as a culture, a way of life, and the best system for good governance. ADF was established on May 27, 2007 at the initiative of Arab democracy advocates, and with support from the...
.
Bonino is a Board member of DARA (international organization).
Taking her background, one can infer she is a fervent pro-European, she reaffirmed it recently by signing the Soros
George Soros
George Soros is a Hungarian-American business magnate, investor, philosopher, and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Soros Fund Management. Soros supports progressive-liberal causes...
letter ('As concerned Europeans') and calling for a stronger European integration
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
.
Awards
In 1999 she was one of the two winners of the North-South PrizeNorth-South Prize
The North–South Prize is awarded annually by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe to two public figures who are recognised for their deep commitment, outstanding achievements and hope they have generated in the field of protection of human rights, the defence of pluralist democracy and...
, an award that honors individuals with accomplishment in the protection of human rights, pluralistic democracy, and improvement of North-South relations.
For her battles and engagements with controversial issues, her engagement in the promotion of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and civil rights in the world, she received the "Open Society Prize 2004" and "Prix Femmes d'Europe 2004" for Italy.
External links
- Official website
- Article in Time from 1999
- Detailed Biography
- Woman in Decision-making: Interview with Emma Bonino
- Parliamentary functions 1999–2004
- Parliamentary functions currently
- Emma Bonino's syndicated op/ed column
- EU report on mismanagement in the Santer commission, chapter on Bonino's role
- UK parliament report on the Santer scandal and Bonino's role