Emma Bonino, tireless rights advocate and EU insider, dies at 78

Emma Bonino, a lifelong rights activist who served as a European commissioner, MEP, and Italy’s minister, has died at 78. Her career bridged Brussels and Rome, shaping the EU as a defender of human rights and pushing for greater European integration, while she remained a radical liberal who crossed ideological lines. From campaigning for abortion and divorce rights to leading aid missions in conflict zones, she spoke bluntly and worked across governments, earning respect even amid controversies such as a 1998 EU aid probe and the Turbot War era. She later pressed for a stronger yet limited EU and cultivated unlikely friendships, including with Pope Francis.