European Parliament President David Sassoli dies at 65
David Sassoli, the Italian journalist who worked his way up in politics while defending the downtrodden and repressed to become president of the European Union’s parliament, died at a hospital in Italy early Tuesday, his spokesperson said.
EU Council President Charles Michel called Sassoli a “sincere and passionate European. We already miss his human warmth, his generosity, his friendliness and his smile.”
No details were provided in a tweet by spokesperson Roberto Cuillo. Sassoli, a 65-year-old socialist, had been hospitalized since Dec. 26 due to abnormal functioning of his immune system, Cuillo said in a statement released the day before Sassoli’s death.
Sassoli had been struggling for months with poor health after he contracted pneumonia, caused by legionella bacteria, in September. His health steadily declined afterward, and he was forced to miss several important legislative meetings. Yet as much as possible, he stayed on the job, where his vigor and easy smile had always been a trademark.
He was at his strongest when he took up the cause of migrants who died crossing the Mediterranean or dissidents such as Russia’s Alexei Navalny, who is taking on the Kremlin from a jail cell.
Over the past months, he improved enough to preside over a European Parliament session in December to give the EU’s main human rights award, the Sakharov Prize, to Navalny’s daughter. High in symbolism, it became his political testament.
“In the final week of December there was a worsening of the illness, and then the final days of his battle,” Cuillo told Italy’s Sky TG24.
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Sassoli is survived by his wife, Alessandra Vittorini, and his children, Livia and Giulio.
Sassoli came to lead the legislature in 2019 after an intricate bout of political infighting among EU leaders that also saw German Christian Democrat Ursula von der Leyen become EU Commission president and Belgian free-market liberal Michel take the job as EU Council president. Sassoli and Von der Leyen were picked by EU leaders practically out of the blue, stunning themselves and the rest of the world.
Even if he was often overshadowed by Von der Leyen and Michel, Sassoli led an institution that has become ever more powerful over the years and has become instrumental in charting the course of the European Union in many sectors, be it the digital economy, climate or Brexit.
An adroit political shaker, using his bonhomie to the hilt, he helped steer several of the most important political issues facing the EU to a successful conclusion — and none more so than the 1.8-trillion-euro pandemic recovery fund and seven-year budget.
His 2½ years in charge were affected by both the pandemic, which often turned the European parliament into a remote digital institution where his human warmth lost impact, and his own deteriorating health.
The European Parliament represents the EU’s 450 million citizens and refers to itself as “the heart of European democracy.” It has more than 700 members directly elected by its member nations.
“I am deeply saddened by the terrible loss of a great European & proud Italian,” Von der Leyen said on Twitter. “David Sassoli was a compassionate journalist, an outstanding President of the European Parliament and, first & foremost, a dear friend.”
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He was just as respected in Italy.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi sent condolences on behalf of the Italian government and paid tribute to Sassoli: “A man of institutions, a profound pro-European, a passionate journalist, Sassoli was a symbol of balance, humanity, generosity.”
The head of Italy’s Democratic Party and a longtime friend, Enrico Letta, praised Sassoli’s European passion and vision and vowed to carry them forward, though “we know we’re not up to it.”
In a tweet, Letta called Sassoli “someone of extraordinary generosity, a passionate European” and a man of “vision and principles, theoretical and practical.”
Another former Italian premier of the center-left, Paolo Gentiloni, called his death a “terrible loss.”
“I will always remember his leadership, his passion, his generous friendship. #CiaoDavid,” Gentiloni tweeted.
Sassoli was first elected to the European Parliament in 2009. He won another term in 2014 and served as its vice president. He started out as a newspaper journalist before entering broadcasting as a high-profile presenter in Italy. It was a steppingstone for his political career.
He had considered running for the second part of the five-year term that starts next week, but decided to not run for reelection when lawmakers choose their new president in Strasbourg, France.
Roberta Metsola, the Christian Democrat who was already set to take over from Sassoli next week, said, “I am heartbroken. Europe has lost a leader, I have a lost a friend, democracy has lost a champion.” She said Sassoli “dedicated his life to making the world a better, fairer place.”
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