Emma Bonino
Minister for International Trade and for European policies
Born in Bra (Cuneo) in 1948, Emma Bonino graduated in modern languages and literature from Bocconi University. In 1976 she was elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies, where she remained for subsequent sessions except when she held the position of European Commissioner. She is the Minister for International Trade and for European policies and has held the chair of the parliamentary group of the Radical Party. She has also been a member of the Presidential Bureau of the Parliament. Between 1991 and 1994 she was president and secretary of the Transnational Radical Party.
In 1994 she was nominated to the European Commission, where she was 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. She was the Head of the delegation for the mission of election observers in Ecuador (2002) and Afghanistan (2005). She is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Crisis Group (ICG)
She has promoted a number of campaigns throughout her political career, including the referendum which led to the introduction of the legalisation of abortion in Italy, (she’s the founder of CISA, Information Centre on Sterilisation and Abortion) and she is a founder of the NGOs “No Peace Without Justice” and “Hands Off Cain.” She has received numerous awards.