Valeria Fedeli, former Italian Minister of Education, University and Research and a long-time trade union leader, passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 76. Her death was confirmed by her family.

Born in Treviglio on July 29, 1949, Fedeli began her professional career as an early childhood educator in Milan before embarking on a decades-long commitment to the labor movement within the CGIL trade union. From 2000 to 2010, she served as secretary general of Filtea-CGIL, representing textile workers, and also held several roles at the European level. In 2012, she became vice president of the consumer advocacy group Federconsumatori.

Elected to the Senate in 2013 as a member of the Democratic Party, Fedeli was appointed Deputy President of the Senate later that year, a position she held until 2016. Between January and February 2015, she temporarily presided over the Senate chamber. In December 2016, she joined the Gentiloni government as Minister of Education, a post she held until 2018.

Throughout her political and institutional career, Fedeli focused particularly on education policy, women’s rights and gender equality. She was among the founders of the feminist movement “Se non ora, quando?”. She is survived by her husband Achille Passoni, a former senator and Democratic Party figure.