Franco Frattini, former Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Union Commissioner died in Rome at age 65. According to several Italian media sources.
Frattini was Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s foreign affairs minister twice; he first served from 2002 to 2004 and was re-appointed to do in the same position from 2008 to 2011.
Between 2004 and 2008, Frattini, a lawyer, was appointed to serve as EU Justice Commissioner.
Frattini also serves as the President of the Council of State in Rome, one of the highest judicial bodies in Italy.
Cause of death?
Frattini died from cancer; according to several media reports, he had been battling it for quite some time.
Various political party leaders paid tribute to the Rome native and critical figure in Italian politics. He had a “high reputation” in all of his positions and was respected by all, President Sergio Mattarella said.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described Frattini as a “polite and intelligent man, servant of the institutions, my friend” in a statement.
“I will always remember how he was able to solve complex problems with a smile and feels comfortable in every role,” Berlusconi wrote on Instagram.
The European Union also released the following statement on social media to mourn his death.
With great sadness, we learnt that Franco Frattini, former VP of the Commission and Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security has passed away.
His work has greatly contributed to the Italian and EU institutions.
Our thoughts are with his family, colleagues and friends. pic.twitter.com/sHhCRzRQbu
— European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) December 25, 2022