“Addio Presidente” – “goodbye, president” – writes the newspaper La Stampa at the top of its website on Friday evening.
“The first Italian president to be elected twice has passed away,” writes the newspaper La Repubblica.
Napolitano is said to have struggled with illness for a long time and underwent several operations in recent years.
He died on Friday in the Italian capital Rome.
– President Napolitano has played a significant role for social development, peace and progress in Italy and Europe,” says the current president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, on Friday evening.
– His passing hurts me deeply. I would like to express my deepest gratitude on behalf of the entire nation and send my deepest condolences to his family.
Napolitano is survived by his wife Clio Maria Bittoni, whom he married in 1959 and had two sons with.
Giorgio Napolitano and his wife Clio Maria Bittoni were married for 64 years.
Photo: Gregorio Borgia / AP
The ex-communist who became president
The Reuters news agency describes Napolitano as one of modern Italy’s most important presidents.
He was considered clean-cut, principled and steady – in contrast to the stamp many other Italian politicians have received over the years.
“King Giorgio” was one of the nicknames he was given.
Napolitano joined the Italian Communist Party (PCI) in 1945. In 2006, he was elected by parliament to become the country’s president.
He was the first communist to become president of Italy, several Italian media claim this evening.
Giorgio Napolitano and then US Vice President, now President, Joe Biden in 2011.
Photo: Gregorio Borgia / AP
Giorgio Napolitiano and Queen Elizabeth in Rome in 2014.
Photo: Alessandra Tarantino / AP
Together with Pope Francis in 2013.
Photo: Alessandra Tarantino / AP
Was president until he was 89 years old
Napolitano was also the first Italian president to be re-elected.
In 2013, he was elected president for a second term.
Napolitano was then 87 years old and had actually intended to give up, but embarked on a new presidential term, which should actually last seven years, in order to create calm in a political chaos.
The National Assembly had then failed in several rounds to vote for a new president. Napolitano made it clear that he thought the Italian parliamentarians were irresponsible and had poor implementation skills when he had to make sacrifices and scrap the pension plans.
However, in 2015 he resigned as president. At the time, he himself said that his age made it more difficult to carry out his duties as president. He was then 89 years old.
Napolitano has also been a member of the European Parliament.
Power in the presidential palace
Although on a day-to-day basis it is the prime minister who is the political figurehead, the Italian president also has formal power.
Among other things, he is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, has control over the National Defense Council and is the only one who can declare war.
He has power when it comes to important parts of the judiciary and is the one who can call referendums, dissolve the National Assembly and call new elections. He is also the one who selects the prime minister.
Photo: Markus Schreiber / AP
2023-09-22 20:36:00
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