David Sassoli broke the news to the Italians before entering politics
David Sassoli, a former Italian TV presenter who successfully transformed his journalistic career into a political one and even became president of the European Parliament, died on Tuesday in a hospital in Aviano, Italy, Politico reported. He was 65 and left days before the end of his term as chairman of the 705-member parliament, which is to elect his successor in Strasbourg next week.
His death comes weeks after he was admitted to hospital with complications related to his immune system. The news of his hospitalization at the Aviano Oncology Center was announced only on Monday. Six months ago, Sassoli contracted severe pneumonia due to legionellosis (also known as legionnaires’ disease – an acute bacterial infection that can lead to a number of life-threatening complications). During his lifetime, the head of the EP dispelled rumors about his health, explaining that his illness was not related to COVID or vaccines against him.
“Pneumonia is an ugly beast, the important thing is to avoid recurrence and recovery must be adequate,” Sasoli said in September.
The former TV news anchor became President of the EP in July 2019. He was
the second Italian
on this post after
Antonio Tajani
This role is considered one of the bloc’s most important positions and includes chairing sessions and overseeing parliamentary activities. Sassoli spent much of his two-and-a-half-year term ruling parliament during an extremely difficult coronavirus pandemic that effectively shut down EU buildings in Brussels and Strasbourg. He also helped approve the union’s long-term budget, paving the way for the historic 1.8 trillion-euro recovery package.
In Italy, they still remember David Maria Sassoli telling them the news from the central broadcasts of RAI Uno on state television. To this day, he remains one of the emblematic faces of RAI.
The Italian was born on May 30, 1956 in Florence, but his life passed between Rome and Brussels. His father, Domenico, is a journalist and Christian Democrat, but close to the left in the Medici city. It was there that David made his first steps as a party activist.
In his teens, Sassoli worked for small news agencies and newspapers, then moved to the Roman edition of the daily Il Giorno. He then made his breakthrough in journalism and began a career in national television, which made him very popular.
In 2009, he left the media to devote himself to politics. In it, he was lured by former Rome mayor Walter Veltroni, the first leader of Italy’s center-left Democratic Party, founded in 2007, which Sassoli joins.
He is running in the European elections with the Democratic Party and
from the first
path is chosen with
400 thousand votes
He then headed the party’s delegation to the EP. In 2013, he decided to return to Italy, running for mayor of Rome. Before doing so, however, he needs to win his party’s primary, but fails. He is second only to Ignacio Marino, the future mayor.
After three terms between Brussels and Strasbourg, Sassoli became one of the best experts in European politics. In 2014-2019 he was Vice-President of the European Parliament, focusing mainly on transport.
In his first speech as head of the EP in 2019, he announced his priorities – a policy aimed at climate change, close to citizens and their needs, especially the younger generation, strengthening parliamentary democracy.
During the pandemic, Sassoli pledged that the European Parliament would remain open and operational. Thus, in March 2020, he introduced the remote holding of parliamentary debates, which is practically the first time in the world.
Salt it
meets with
his wife
Alessandra still on
the student rank
She is an expert in art history. They have a son and a daughter, Giulio and Livia.
Sassoli has long been addicted to classical music, Roman history and gardening, much like his political opponent Silvio Berlusconi. “My orchard is in my country house in Sutra, near Rome. Mine is an anti-variant of Berlusconi’s gardening. I sow and grow plants. He buys them that much, “Sasoli said in an interview.
Many will also remember the head of the European Parliament as an avid Fiorentina fan.
A number of world leaders have expressed condolences over Sasolli’s death. “David Sassoli was a compassionate journalist, a remarkable President of the European Parliament and, above all, a dear friend. My thoughts are with his family. Rest in peace, dear David! ”Wrote Ursula von der Leyen.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov also expressed his condolences and announced that Europe has lost an extraordinary personality.
“With his authority as President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli was an example and inspiration for all of us who work for a strong and prosperous EU,” Petkov said.
GERB leader Boyko Borissov shared a photo on social media with David Sasoli and wrote: “We have lost a great friend and leader in the person of the President of the European Parliament David Sasoli. Condolences to the family and relatives. ”
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