David Sassoli, President of the EU Parliament, dies at the age of 65 | News

The former TV newscaster had been in hospital since December 26 due to a malfunction of his immune system.

European Parliament President David Sassoli has died at an Italian hospital in December.

The 65-year-old Italian had been seriously ill for more than two weeks due to a malfunction in his immune system.

“David Sassoli died on January 11 at 1:15 a.m. at the CRO in Aviano, Italy, where he was hospitalized,” spokesman Roberto Cuillo said Tuesday. “Funeral date and place will be announced in the next few hours.”

The former TV newscaster had been in hospital since Dec. 26 “as a result of a serious complication due to an immune system dysfunction,” Cuillo said Monday, announcing the suspension of Sassoli’s official activities.

Sassoli was hospitalized for several weeks in September last year with pneumonia.

The European Parliament has a five-year term between elections, but the president of the body is half that time.

Sassoli had already stated that he would not run for re-election.

Former journalist

After a three-decade career as a journalist – Sassoli became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and a spokesperson in 2019, starting in the newspapers and then becoming a TV anchor and becoming a nationally well-known anchor.

He was a member of the Center-Left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the second largest parliamentary group in the parliament after the European People’s Party.

Although his role was as a speaker, he held the title of President of the European Parliament. His arrival in the chamber was traditionally announced in Italian as “Il Presidente”.

Unlike some European Union officials who speak English and French in public appearances, Sassoli should use Italian.

MEPs will hold their first successor vote next Tuesday.