David Sassoli (30 May 1956 – 11 January 2022) was an Italian politician and journalist who presided over the European Parliament from 3 July 2019 to 11 January 2022. Sassoli was elected to the European Parliament (MEP) for the first time in 2009.

European Parliament Speaker David Sassoli dead at 65

David Sassoli, a former Italian journalist who was now serving as President of the European Parliament, died at the age of 65. Mr. Sassoli died at 1.15 a.m. on Jan. 11 at a hospital in Aviano, Italy, according to his publicist Robert Cuillo, who shared the news on Twitter.

Due to an immune system breakdown, Sassoli had been in the hospital for more than two weeks. Cuillo stated that the date and location of his funeral will be disclosed soon.

Cuillo, who announced Sassoli’s official duties would be postponed on Monday, said the speaker had been hospitalized since December 26 due to “a significant consequence attributable to an immune system failure.” Sassoli spent several weeks in the hospital with pneumonia last September.

After a three-decade career as an Italian journalist, beginning in newspapers and continuing to television, where he became a nationally famous anchorman, Sassoli, who was born in Florence, was elected to the European Parliament in 2009 and was chosen speaker of the body in 2019.

After the center-right European People’s Party, he was a member of the center-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the parliament’s second-largest grouping.

On Tuesday next week, MEPs are expected to begin the first round of voting for his replacement.

Sassoli was known for championing migrants who perished attempting to cross the Mediterranean and dissidents like Alexei Navalny, who is fighting the Russian authorities from behind bars.

David Sassoli Biography, Wiki

David Sassoli was born on May 30, 1956, in Florence, Italy. He began his career as a journalist in small newspapers and news agencies before moving to Rome’s Il Giorno editorial office, where he spent seven years. He started working for TG3 as a television news reporter and correspondent in 1992.

He then worked on Rai Uno and Rai Due’s news programs before joining TG1’s editorial crew as a special correspondent in 1999. He was in charge of coordinating prime time news broadcasts and covering key national and international events for the following ten years. In 2007, he was promoted to Deputy Director of TG1, where he was in charge of the in-depth programs TV7 and TG1 Special.

He has been involved in educational organizations such as the Scouts and Catholic youth movements since he was a child. He felt he was in the correct location for his political commitment when the Partito Democratico (PD) was created in 2007. He was elected to the European Parliament as a member for central Italy on June 7, 2009. He was the leader of the Partito Democratico’s delegation in the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014.

In 2014, he was re-elected as a member of the European Parliament and elected Vice-President of the European Parliament, with responsibility for Mediterranean Policy, the budget, and the buildings.

He led European railway reform (4th Railway Package) and the Single European Sky as a member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism. He began his third term as a member of the European Parliament for central Italy in May 2019, and on July 3, he was elected President of the European Parliament.

David Sassoli Career

David Sassoli has had a long and high-profile career as a professional journalist, including on various newspapers, following which he moved to prime time news broadcasts, where he was responsible for covering major national and international events.

In 2004, he was elected as President of the Press Association of Rome and in 2007, he became Deputy Director of the Italian state broadcaster, TG1. In 2009, David Sassoli launched his career in politics with the newly formed Democratic
Party and was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for central Italy with more than 400,000 votes.

He subsequently became head of the Democratic Party’s group in the European Parliament. David Sassoli was re-elected as an MEP in 2014 and was also elected as a Vice President of the Parliament with particular responsibility for
the budget and the Mediterranean region.

During his second term he was a member of the Parliament’s powerful transport committee where he was responsible for the reform of European railways and the Single European Sky. In 2019, David Sassoli began his third term as an MEP For central Italy and on 3 July, he was elected President of the European Parliament.

In his inaugural speech, he highlighted the importance of tackling climate change, the need for politics to meet the aspirations of citizens, especially the young and the need to bolster parliamentary democracy and promote Europe’s values.

In parallel to his political and journalistic career, David Sassoli has been a longstanding and active member of various charitable associations promoting education, freedom of speech and youth activities.

David Sassoli Wife

Sassoli was married to Alessandra Vittorini, with whom he had two children, Giulio and Livia. He was a fan of ACF Fiorentina, the football team of his hometown, and of classical music.

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