David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, dies at 65

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  • The politician had been hospitalized for two weeks in an Italian center for a serious dysfunction of the immune system

The president of the European Parliament, the socialist David Sassoli, has passed away at dawn this Tuesday in a hospital in Italy where he was admitted two weeks ago, as confirmed to Europa Press by his spokesman, Roberto Cuillo. Sassoli, 65, died at 1.15 am this Tuesday at the Cancer Reference Center in the city of Aviano, located in the province of Pordenone, in the northeast of the country. Cuillo has also detailed that an official statement on the matter will be published in the “next few hours”. He specified that the death occurred at the Aviano Oncology Reference Center (CRO), in Italy, where he was hospitalized.

The Italian socialist had been admitted since last December 26 for a serious complication caused by a dysfunction of the immune system. After contracting pneumonia last September from legionella, Sassoli had spent more than two months recovering in his native country and had recently returned to political activity when he was admitted to an Italian hospital again on December 26. His entry was not made public until this Monday, fifteen days later, when his spokesman announced the cancellation of all his public acts. After that announcement, the social networks of the leaders of the European institutions and of several of the heads of the main groups of the European Parliament, as well as of the Italian political class, were filled with expressions of support and affection for the president of the European Parliament.

Journalist and politician

The Italian Social Democrat, who before entering politics had a long journalistic career, was appointed president of the European Parliament in July 2019 and was in the final week of his mandate, since next Tuesday the European Parliament will elect a new president by have reached the halfway point of this legislature (2019-2024).

It is the first time in the history of the European Parliament that an incumbent president has died. According to the internal regulations of the European Parliament, the first vice president must act as president until the election of the successor. In this case, the first vice president is the Maltese Roberta Metsola, of the European People’s Party, who was already the favorite to take over the position in the renewal of the leadership of the European Parliament scheduled for next week in Strasbourg (France).

Von der Leyen reaction

The President of the European Commission,from She said “deeply” saddened by the death of Sassoli, whom she defined as “a great European and proud Italian.” “I am deeply saddened by the terrible loss of a great European and proud Italian,” said Von der Leyen on his official Twitter account.

Sassoli was “a compassionate journalist, a prominent president of the European Parliament and, above all, a dear friend,” said German politics, after ensuring that his “thoughts are with his family.” “Rest in peace, dear David!” Von der Leyen concluded his tweet in Italian.

Mourning of the Spanish Government

The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, has lamented the death of Sassoli, whom he defined as “a friend from Congress, a great defender of European values, who in recent years worked firmly for a more united and social EU during the pandemic.” “All my affection for David’s family and friends,” Sánchez concluded in Italian in a message on Twitter.

Related news

In Spain, the Minister of Consumption, Alberto Garzón, and the Second Vice President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Diaz, They mourned this Tuesday the death of the President of the European Parliament. “A progressive man with deep democratic convictions. A terrible loss”, has moved the head of Consumption in a message that he has published on his profile on the social network Twitter. “What sad news”, he concluded his words.

In this same vein, Díaz has praised his “good work, capacity for dialogue and firm commitment to humanist values.” “It is, without a doubt, a huge loss for the European family,” he assured. The Minister of Labor conveyed her deepest condolences to those close to him who has been President of the European Parliament since 2019 in these difficult times.

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