In recent months, we have said goodbye to many eminent personalities from the world of politics, both European and global.
Bishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Laureate
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died in December 2021, served as head of the Anglican Church in South Africa from 1986-1996. In 1984, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for the fight against apartheid and the efforts of national reconciliation in his country. At the same time, he was the first black archbishop of the South African Church in Africa.
He has also been involved in preventive actions to limit the spread of HIV in Africa, as well as in the fight for respect for the rights of the LGBT population.
David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament
In January, news of the death of former European Parliament President David Sassoli spread. Since last December, he had been hospitalized in Italy due to complications related to a malfunctioning immune system. Previously, he suffered from severe pneumonia.
In the past, Sassoli was a journalist for the Italian television RAI and an MEP for the Democratic Party. He assumed the role of head of the European Parliament on July 3, 2019.
After his death, condolences were expressed by many politicians, incl. French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright was born in Czechoslovakia in 1937 as the daughter of Czech diplomats who emigrated to the United States in 1948. Albright worked, among other things, at the National Security Council, she was also a lecturer at Georgetown University and United States Ambassador to the United Nations.
She went down in history as the first woman to serve as US Secretary of State. She played this role in 1997-2001.
“She was a strong supporter of Poland’s NATO membership and a close friend of Zbigniew Brzeziński. We will remember her as a person who strongly supports relations with Poland,” the Polish Embassy in the United States wrote on Twitter.
Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan
The former Japanese prime minister died of his injuries after being shot dead by a 41-year-old man who described himself as an opponent of Abe’s political beliefs. The attack took place on July 8, during an election speech by a Nara city politician.
Shinzo Abe held office from 2006 to 2007 as well as from 2012 to 2020, making him Japan’s longest-serving prime minister in history. He was known for his foreign policy and his flagship economic strategy known as “Abeconomics”.
Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain
The Queen died on September 8. She was the longest reigning British monarch in history – she took office in 1952. Despite having reduced her duties in recent years, she continued to play a representative role, hired chefs of State and made visits abroad.
“As we bid farewell to the holy Memory British Queen Elizabeth II, it is indeed the moment when an era ends, not only in the history of Great Britain, but also in the history of Europe and the world. Perhaps in future this era will be called the next, second “Elizabethan era”. We will see, history will show that,” President Andrzej Duda said.
An estimated 100,000 people attended the Queen’s funeral ceremonies in Windsor alone. people – three times more than the number of inhabitants of the city. The broadcast of the monarch’s funeral was watched by 4 billion people, nearly half of the world’s population.
