David Sassoli, the President of the European Parliament, died on the night of Monday 10 to Tuesday 11 January at the age of 65. Since last December 26, he was hospitalized “due to a serious complication due to a dysfunction of the immune system “, said his spokesperson.
David Sassoli is no more. The President of the European Parliament has passed away on the night of Monday 10 to Tuesday 11 January in Italy, at the age of 65. It was his spokesperson, Roberto Cuillo, who announced the sad news on Twitter. “David Sassoli died on January 11 at 1:15 a.m. at the CRO [centre de référence d’oncologie] from Aviano, Italy, where he was hospitalized, he wrote on the social network, before specifying: “The date and place of the funeral will be releases in the next few hours. ”
The day before, he had confirmed the hospitalization of David Sassoli since last December 26 “due to a serious complication due to a dysfunction of the immune system“. The former journalist had tested negative for Covid-19. Having suffered from leukemia in the past, he had already been hospitalized this fall for pneumonia, which had kept him away from Parliament for several weeks.
Tributes multiply
Born in Florence, Italy, May 30, 1956, David Sassoli started his career in journalism. Registered in the register of professional journalists on July 3, 1986, he made a name for himself by specializing in news items on the TG3 channel (Rai 3). Become a featured presenter in Italy, he turned to politics by becoming head of the Democratic Party’s list for the Center region in the European elections of June 2009. Upon his re-election as MEP in the 8th legislature on May 25, 2014, he became a member of the transport and tourism commission, before being elected President of the European Parliament on July 3, 2019.
“My heart is broken. Europe has lost a leader, I have lost a friend, democracy has lost a champion“, lamented Robert Metsola, Vice-President of the European Parliament, on his Twitter page. For his part, Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for the Economy, calls to remember “of a democratic and pro-European leader. “” You were bright, generous, joyful “, outbid the latter.