Farewell to Mario Forte, the former mayor of Naples, who was 89 years old.

Mario Forte, former mayor of Naples, a prominent Christian Democrat, and a member of the European Parliament, has passed away in his native Naples at the age of 89. A charismatic figure in an intense political era, Forte led the city in years long gone but still etched in the collective memory, leaving a legacy of poise and dedication to the institutions.

Mayor Gaetano Manfredi, in a message published on X, expressed My condolences and those of the entire municipal administration for the passing of Mario Forte. He gave so much to the institutions and to politics as mayor and member of the European Parliament. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family. A touching remembrance also came from the president of the Christian Democrats, Gianfranco Rotondi, who underlined Forte's central role in the party's most delicate moments, particularly during the split in the PPI.

It was he, Rotondi says, who mediated the famous "pact of Cannes ” which put an end to the opposition between the Bianco and Buttiglione currents. “With the wisdom of the patriarchs - he added - He stayed away from the futile battles of recent years. Today, we are left with the grief of his passing and our deepest sympathy for his family, especially his brother Bruno, Archbishop of Chieti.

His death came just days after his sister's death, a blow that deeply affected his entourage. Naples has thus lost one of its historic figures, a politician capable of combining vision and pragmatism, far removed from the squabbles and yet close to the city's real problems.