She was the first woman to serve as Secretary of State in the United States. Former US Foreign Minister Madeleine Albright died at the age of 84 on Wednesday, her family announced in a statement.
Secretary of State between 1997 and 2001, in the administration of Democratic President Bill Clinton, Madeleine Albright died of cancer, specify her relatives, who salute “a tireless defender of democracy and human rights” .
Madeleine Albright was “a passionate voice for freedom and democracy”, praised Bill Clinton, stressing that her death was “an immense loss for the world at a time when we most need the lessons of her life”.
In a press release, the former president paid tribute to some of his many fights, to “put an end to ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo”, “support an expansion of NATO to the countries of Central Europe” or “reduce poverty level”. She led them, he says, without ever losing “her great sense of humor” or “her determination”.
Polyglot refugee from Nazism
Just before taking the helm of American diplomacy, Madeleine Albright spent four years at the UN as United States Ambassador (1993-1997), where she left her mark, notably during the intervention of the NATO in Kosovo. At the same time, the Russian ambassador is a certain Sergei Lavrov… who has since become the head of Russian diplomacy and a very close ally of Vladimir Putin. Russian President whom she accused, a month ago to the day, of committing a “historic error” by preparing to invade Ukraine.
Born May 15, 1937 in Prague, Madeleine Albright is a polyglot refugee, who first fled Nazism by taking refuge in London in 1939 with her Jewish family.
Eleven years later, her relatives, who have meanwhile returned to Czechoslovakia, decide when the Communists take power there to emigrate to the United States, where brilliant studies will allow Madeleine Albright to access the highest steps of power. .
“She lived the American dream and helped others achieve it,” said former US President George W. Bush about this woman who speaks English, Czech, French and Russian in particular.
A “shattering” disappearance
In 2001, just after the arrival of the latter at the White House, she created the “Albright Group”, an international strategy consulting firm based in Washington and which retains a significant influence on the international scene.
“She was an immigrant fleeing persecution,” responded US President Joe Biden. “And like so many before and after her, she was proudly American.” “To make this country she loved even more beautiful, she defied conventions, broke barriers, again and again,” applauded the leader.
US Foreign Ministry spokesman Ned Price called his death “shattering”. “She was a pioneer,” he said. “As the first female Secretary of State, she literally paved the way for much of our profession. »
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said she was “one of the most remarkable people” he had the privilege of working with, praising her “deep compassion for humanity”. Israeli President Isaac Herzog hailed her in a tweet “a feminist icon, an exceptional leader” and “a true friend of Israel”.
In April 2012, by awarding him the “Presidential Medal of Freedom”, the highest civilian decoration in the United States, Barack Obama praised his “courage and tenacity which made it possible to bring peace to the Balkans and opened the path to progress in some of the most unstable places in the world”.