Barbara Spinelli has died: the journalist and former MEP was 80 years old

Italian journalist, essayist and former Member of the European Parliament. Barbara Spinelli died today, 7 October 2026, in Rome, aged 80. Born in 1946 in the capital, she was the daughter of Altiero Spinelli – one of the intellectuals regarded as a founding father of the European Union – and Ursula Hirschmann – a German anti-fascist politician and advocate of European federalism.

Spinelli began her career in journalism on the editorial team of the Roman daily newspaper ‘Il Globo’, before helping to found ‘La Repubblica’ and contributing to the ‘Corriere della Sera’ and ‘La Stampa’. After returning to *La Repubblica* as a columnist, in 2016 she became a contributor to *Il Fatto Quotidiano*.

Barbara Spinelli has also made a name for herself in politics: in 2014 she was elected to the European Parliament on the ‘L’Altra Europa con Tsipras’ list and served as Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs and as a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. A year later, however, the journalist left the list and remained in the European institutions as an independent member. Her political commitment was inspired by pacifism and anti-fascism.

Spinelli was also an essayist: her best-known books include *The Sleep of Memory: Europe under Totalitarianism*, *Remember that you were a stranger*, *The Breath of the Meek: Blessed are the meek*, and *Absent Sovereignty*.

In a statement, the family announced her passing, addressing those who had been close to the journalist during her final days: ‘Our heartfelt thanks go to Professor Cortesi, his team and all the staff at the Villa del Rosario clinic for their loving care and great professionalism. The family would like to thank all those who loved and held her in high regard.” The funeral will be held in strictly private circumstances.