The Brazilian government expressed “deep regret” over the death of the former Italian president Giorgio Napolitano, who passed away last Friday (22), at the age of 98, in Roma.
“A great statesman, Giorgio Napolitano was the first president of Italy to be re-elected, in 2013. His contribution to international relations was marked by the defense of human rights and his commitment to multilateralism”, says a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The Brazilian government expresses its condolences to the Italian people and government, as well as to the family and friends of the late president and senator emeritus of Italy”, adds the note.
Napolitano was the 11th president in the history of Italian Republic and the first to be re-elected for a second term, setting a precedent that would be followed by his successor, Sergio Mattarella.
Former member of Italian Communist Party (PCI), he headed the State between May 2006 and January 2015, when he resigned from his position due to old age.
Throughout this period, he was a figure of institutional guarantee and stability in one of the most complicated moments in Italy's republican history: the euro crisis, when Napolitano pushed for the resignation of then-premier Silvio Berlusconi and supported a technical government guided by economist Mario Monti .
He was also President of the Chamber of Deputies (1992-1994), Minister of the Interior (1996-1998) and Minister of Civil Defense (1996-1998), as well as being a parliamentarian for almost 40 years.
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