Emma Bonino, the Italian politician who served as foreign minister, senator and European commissioner, died on September 11, 2026, aged 78, after a battle with lung cancer. Bonino was born in Bra, in Piedmont, on March 9, 1948. She became one of the best-known figures in Italian and European politics, holding office at every level from the European Commission to the Italian cabinet.
She served as Italy's minister of foreign affairs from 2013 to 2014, in the government of Enrico Letta. Earlier, she was minister of international trade from 2006 to 2008.