Farewell to Gianni Mattioli, physicist and father of Italian ecologism

Gianni Mattioli, Genoese physicist and father of Italian ecology, has died aged 86. A member of parliament for four legislatures, minister in the Amato government and co-founder of the "Listas Verdi" ("Green Lists"), he will be remembered for his anti-nuclear struggle and for combining science with political commitment to defend the environment.

His institutional career was long and intense: four legislatures as a Member of Parliament, the post of Minister for Community Policies in the Amato government, that of Under-Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works under the Prodi and D'Alema executives, and finally spokesman for the Green Federation, of which he was also one of the founders.

Angelo Bonelli, MP for the Alliance Verts et Gauche (Avs) and co-spokesman for Europa Verde (Green Europe), pays tribute to him:

"He was one of the most influential and respected protagonists of Italian environmentalism, a man who combined scientific rigor, civil commitment and political passion." Bonelli also underlines Gianni Mattioli's decisive role, alongside Massimo Scalia, in the historic anti-nuclear battle that helped change the country's energy trajectory.

His whole life was dedicated to defending the environment, finding sustainable energy models and building an ecological culture based on knowledge and a sense of responsibility towards future generations. "His passing," concludes Bonelli, "represents an immense loss for the environmental movement, for political life and for Italy."