Giorgio Napolitano was an Italian politician who became the first ever reelected president since the founding of the Italian Republic in 1947 and the longest serving president in its history.
- Died: September 22, 2023 (Who else died on September 22?)
- Details of death: Died in Rome at the age of 98.
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Giorgio Napolitano’s legacy
Born in Naples, Italy, Napolitano grew up under fascist rule and developed staunchly anti-fascist views from a young age as a result. He fought against the Nazi-controlled Italian Social Republic in the mid 1940s, then fully entered the world of politics after the formation of the Italian Republic in 1947. He won a seat in the Chamber of Deputies in 1953, one he only relinquished for a brief five-year span between 1953 and 1996. From 1989 to 1992, then again from 1999 to 2004, he also served as a member of the European Parliament.
In 2006, Napolitano was elected as Italy’s president. He was endorsed by the Holy See during the campaign. By 2011, he was boasting an 80 percent approval rating, making him by far the most popular politician in the country. He easily won reelection in 2013, becoming the first Italian president to serve two terms. He resigned in 2015 as the longest serving president in the country’s history, citing his age. Even after retiring from office, he continued to work in public service in a “senator for life” position.
Napolitano received a wide array of honors during his life, including the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Grand Cross and Collar honors from dozens of European countries, the Dan David Prize, and others.
Notable quote
“(Politics was better when I was young) because even with fixed ideologies, rigidity, and fallacies, there were also great motivations for political commitment. Whether one was Catholic, liberal, republican, socialist, or communist, there was an overall sense of the mission in terms of doing politics, and a much greater sense of the state.”— from an interview in 2006 with Alain Elkann
Tributes to Giorgio Napolitano
Full obituary: The Washington Post
