Luisa Morgantini

• Italy: Sinistra Italiana (since 2024)
• Independent (1967-2024)
• Italian Communist Party (1951-1967)

• EP: The Left (Refoundation)

Luisa Morgantini
Official portrait, 2012
Vice-President of the European Parliament
In office 16 January 2007 –13 July 2009 Servingwith See List
Website	luisamorgantini.net

Luisa Morgantini (born 5 November 1940) is an Italian politician who served as the Vice president in the 6th European parliament. She was elected an MEP as an independent with the nomination of the Communist Refoundation Party and sat with The left group in the European parliament.

She is one of the founders of the Italian branch of the Women in Black organisation.

Career

Morgantini was the first woman elected to the secretariat of the FLM in Milan (Federation of Metalworkers  [ it ] – FIM, FIOM, UILM, representing FIM-CISL).

She was elected to the European Parliament in 1999 and re-elected in 2004 as an independent candidate on the list of the Communist Refoundation Party, in the central electoral district, after Fausto Bertinotti opted to take his seat in the southern district. Morgantini received 29,000 preference votes. ^[1]

In January 2007, she was elected as the Vice President of the European Parliament, with responsibilities related to European policy on Africa and human rights. She was a member of several parliamentary committees, including the Committee on Development, the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, and the Subcommittee on Human Rights. ^[2] She was also the chair of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. Aswell as member of the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, and the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Additionally, she contributed to the election observation working group and was involved in the Peace Initiatives Intergroup. ^[3]

She was among the founders of the international network Women in Black against war and violence, and took part in the national coordination of the Association for Peace, a nonviolent movement. She also founded, and currently leads, the association AssoPacePalestina, which advocates for peace and human rights in Palestine. ^[4]

Morgantini at the International Women In Black meeting at Ulcinj, Montenegro in 1999.

Morgantini has received several recognitions, including a peace award from the Israeli branch of Women in Black and the Golden Doves for Peace Prize  [ it ] from the Disarmament Archive. ^[5]

In 2023, Morgantini was one of 1,000 women who were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. ^[6]

On January 30, 2025, she was arrested along with Il Sole 24 Ore journalist Roberto Bongiorni by the Israeli Defense Forces in the settlement of Kiryat Arba, near Hebron. ^[7] They were accused of entering a military area without authorization and were released a few hours later. ^{[8] [9]}

The arrest was criticized by public figures such as Nicola Fratoianni and by the Italian National Press Federation. ^[10]

Bibliography

• Oltre la danza macabra. No alla guerra, no al terrorismo (in Italian). Rome: Nutrimenti. 2004. ISBN   978-88-88389-22-6.
• al-Sa‘dawi, Nawal (2009). L'amore ai tempi del petrolio (in Italian). Translated by Marika Macco. Introduction by Luisa Morgantini. Fagnano Alto: il Sirente. ISBN   978-88-87847-16-1.

References

1. "Election results - Italy - Legislative period (2004 - 2009) - Constitutive session". results.elections.europa.eu . Retrieved 22 June 2025.
2. "The Parliament's women". POLITICO . 19 April 2006. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
3. "Intervista a Luisa Morgantini: "I palestinesi hanno bisogno dei pacifisti che sono spariti"". L'Unita (in Italian). 24 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
4. "Lettere da Sheikh Jarrah: Intervista a Luisa Morgantini". Il Manifesto (in Italian). 16 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
5. Aliev, Jeyhun (18 November 2018). "Siege of Gaza shames humanity: Former top EP official". Andalou Agency . Retrieved 22 June 2025.
6. "Donne di pace, Il Nobel 2023 all'Iraniana Narges Mohammadi diventa segno dell'impegno femminile per la mediazione. Le attiviste". Il Messaggero (in Italian). 27 December 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
7. TGR (31 January 2025). "Luisa Morgantini fermata dagli israeliani e poi rilasciata dopo alcune ore". Rai News (in Italian). Retrieved 22 June 2025.
8. "Luisa Morgantini detenuta per ore da Israele. Il rilascio in serata". Il Manifesto (in Italian). 31 January 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
9. "Israeli Occupation Forces Arrest Former EU Parliament VP, Luisa Morgantini, in Masafer Yatta". Safa Press Agency . 30 January 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
10. "Giornalista del Sole fermato dalla polizia israeliana vicino a Hebron e rilasciato dopo alcune ore". FNSI . 30 January 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.

External links

• Official website (archive)
• Luisa Morgantini's Profile at the European Parliament