Barbara Spinelli's memory: critical journalism and a united Europe
On October 7, 2026, the Italian capital lost Barbara Spinelli, a leading journalist and former Member of the European Parliament, while her career remains a model of commitment between independent reporting and the defence of European unity.
A life linked to Rome and Europe
Born in Rome on May 31, 1946, Barbara Spinelli carried in her surname a history closely linked to community institutions: she was the daughter of Altiero Spinelli, founding father of the European Union, and Ursula Hirschmann, an anti‑fascist activist. This background guided her entire career, oriented towards the protection of civil rights and the constructive criticism of Brussels institutions.
Journalistic career and political commitment
Graduating in law, Spinelli began writing in the early 1970s with Il Globo, then took part, in 1976, in the founding of the daily La Repubblica alongside Eugenio Scalfari. Later her byline enriched Corriere della Sera and La Stampa, where she was a columnist from Paris, offering analyses of geopolitics and the changes in Eastern and Western Europe. In recent years she has continued to engage with readers through the columns of Il Fatto Quotidiano.
Among her most notable works is “Il sonno della memoria – L’Europa dei totalitarismi” (Mondadori, 2001), which foresaw the risks of a return to identity‑based resentments in the Old Continent. For a long time she was the partner of Tommaso Padoa‑Schioppa, economist and former Minister of Economy who died in 2010, sharing a high‑level vision of economic and European policy.
In 2014 she accepted the candidacy for the European Parliament as the lead candidate for the L’Altra Europa coalition with Tsipras. Elected in Brussels, she served until 2019 in the European United Left–Nordic Green Left group (GUE/NGL), working for institutional transparency, migrants’ rights and social justice.
The family announced her passing with a note of deep affection and gratitude to those who were close to her in her final days. The funeral will be private, respecting the privacy that has always characterised her life.