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David Sassoli, European Parliament president, dead at 65
Following his election, Sassoli called on the EU to swap warfare and nationalism for peace and equality
European Parliament President David Sassoli died on Tuesday at the age of 65, his spokesman announced.
The Italian former journalist and center-left politician was seriously ill for more than two weeks and was admitted to a hospital in Italy last month.
“The date and place of the funeral will be communicated in the next few hours,” his spokesman Roberto Cuillo tweeted.
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On Monday, Cuillo said that Sassoli had “a serious complication due to a dysfunction of the immune system,” forcing him to cancel all official activities.
In September, Sassoli was hospitalized in Strasbourg, France, where he was treated for a severe case of pneumonia, according to BBC News.
He later announced that he suffered a relapse while recuperating in Italy, and worked remotely during October before resuming his political duties the following month.
“Pneumonia is an ugly beast, but the important thing is to avoid relapses and the convalescence must be adequate,” Sassoli told Italian outlet Corriere in September.
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The leader indicated that he would not seek re-election for his post, and a vote to elect his replacement was already planned for later this month, BBC News reported.
Sassoli became president of the 705-seat European Parliament in July 2019, beating out three other candidates.
In his victory speech, he called for the European Union to swap warfare and nationalism for peace and equality.
European Council President Charles Michel described Sassoli as a “sincere and passionate European.”
"We already miss his human warmth, his generosity, his friendliness, and his smile.”