THE PRESIDENT of the European Parliament David Sassoli has died aged 65, his spokesperson has announced.
The Italian had been in hospital since 26 December "because of a serious complication due to a disfunction of the immune system," which led him to cancel all official activities in recent weeks.
His spokesperson Robert Cuillo took to Twitter to announce Mr Sassoli's passing, saying that he died in the early hours of 11 January. He also said the date and time of his funeral will be announced in the coming hours.
The @EP_President David Sassoli passed away at 1.15 am on 11 January at the CRO in Aviano( PN), Italy, where he was hospitalized. The date and place of the funeral will be communicated in the next few hours.
— RobertoCuillo (@robertocuillo) January 11, 2022
Mr Sassoli, a former newsreader, took to social media in September to say that he had been taken to hospital in Strasbourg to receive treatment for pneumonia.
He later told his followers on social media that he had suffered a relapse while recuperating in Italy.
He worked remotely during October, officially resuming his political duties in November. But he was again hospitalised on 26 December, Italian media report.
Sassoli became president of the European Parliament in July 2019, beating out three other candidates to the role, having left journalism in 2009 to become a member of the European Parliament.
He had been a supporter of the Good Friday Agreement, and tweeted in October calling for the UK to engage on issues surrounding Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The @Europarl_EN has always prioritised the Good Friday Agreement. The new EU proposals on the NI protocol, including removing 80% of checks, were not taken lightly. They were made in the interest of the people of Northern Ireland.
The UK government must now genuinely engage.— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) October 14, 2021
A number of high profile individuals have paid their respects, including Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney.
"He was a popular and impactful Italian politician giving great leadership at the top of European Politics and will be missed," he said on Twitter.
Our thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, on his passing.
He was a popular and impactful Italian politician giving great leadership at the top of European Politics and will be missed. RIP. @dfatirl https://t.co/tLoCitEvKv— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) January 11, 2022
Irish EU Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability and Capital Markets Union Mairead McGuinness also said on Twitter that he was a "warm, kind and humble man who cared deeply about people."
So sad to learn of David Sassoli’s passing.
David was a warm, kind and humble man who cared deeply about people.
It was a privilege to work with him in the Bureau of @Europarl_EN in his role as Vice-President and President.
We will miss him.
May his gentle soul rest in peace— Mairead McGuinness (@McGuinnessEU) January 11, 2022
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said he was "an outstanding President of the Europen Parliament and, first and foremost, a dear friend."
I am deeply saddened by the terrible loss of a great European & proud Italian.
David Sassoli was a compassionate journalist, an outstanding President of the European Parliament and, first & foremost, a dear friend.
My thoughts are with his family.
Riposa in pace, caro David!— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 11, 2022
A vote to elect his replacement had already been planned for later this month, and Mr Sassoli had indicated that he would not seek re-election before his passing.
