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| David Sassoli | |
|---|---|
| Name | David Sassoli |
| Birth date | 30 May 1956 |
| Birth place | Florence, Tuscany, Italy |
| Death date | 11 January 2022 |
| Death place | Aviano, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Journalist, Politician |
| Party | Democratic Party (Italy) |
| Alma mater | Sapienza University of Rome |
| Office | President of the European Parliament |
| Term start | 3 July 2019 |
| Term end | 11 January 2022 |
David Sassoli was an Italian journalist and politician who served as President of the European Parliament from July 2019 until his death in January 2022. A prominent figure within the Democratic Party (Italy), he transitioned from broadcast journalism at RAI and Tg1 to elected offices in the European Parliament, advocating for European integration, civil rights, and humanitarian responses to crises. His tenure was marked by efforts to strengthen parliamentary oversight, promote social protections, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Born in Florence in 1956 to a family of Italian Istrian and Venice region origins, he grew up during the post-war period in Italy. He studied at the Sapienza University of Rome, where he graduated in modern journalism and developed contacts with media institutions such as RAI. During his university years he engaged with student associations and networks connecting Rome's cultural institutions and local political movements.
He began his professional career at Il Giorno and later joined RAI as a reporter and presenter, working across broadcast outlets like TG3 and TG1. Over decades he covered major international events including visits and summits involving United States, Russia, European Union leaders, and conflicts in Balkans, reporting on humanitarian crises and diplomatic developments. As a presenter and correspondent he collaborated with figures from Italian public life, interfaced with institutions such as the European Commission and attended high-profile events involving personalities like Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis. His work earned recognition from journalistic associations and brought him into public prominence ahead of his political candidacy.
He joined the Democratic Party (Italy) and stood for the European Parliament elections, being first elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2009. During successive terms he served on committees including the Committee on Transport and Tourism and engaged in intergroups and delegations with counterparts from Spain, France, Germany, and other member states. He aligned with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats parliamentary group, collaborating with leaders such as Manfred Weber and Guy Verhofstadt on legislative dossiers. As an MEP he worked on dossiers touching on passenger rights, media freedom, and responses to migration flows across the Mediterranean Sea.
Elected President on 3 July 2019, he succeeded Antonio Tajani and presided over the European Parliament during a period that encompassed Brexit negotiations, the COVID-19 pandemic, and debates on the Multiannual Financial Framework (EU). He convened plenary sessions in Strasbourg and Brussels, chaired hearings with Commissioners-designate from the European Commission, and represented the Parliament in inter-institutional relations with the European Council and the Council of the European Union. His presidency prioritized parliamentary scrutiny of executive action, extensions of voting rights, and strengthening ties with institutions such as the United Nations and the Council of Europe.
He advocated for stronger protections for civil liberties and supported measures on social welfare implemented at EU level, engaging with legislative files on public health, digital rights, and transport regulation. He publicly supported humanitarian responses to migration and called for coordinated search-and-rescue policies in the Mediterranean Sea, working with NGOs and national authorities such as those from Italy, Greece, and Malta. On foreign policy he backed sanctions frameworks involving Russia and promoted dialogue with partners such as United States, China, and Ukraine. During the COVID-19 crisis he pushed for EU-level coordination on vaccine procurement and emergency funds, and he initiated parliamentary debates on recovery plans including the Next Generation EU instrument. He also emphasized media pluralism and protections for journalists, drawing on his background at RAI and relationships with European media institutions.
In late 2021 he was hospitalized with complications related to a severe health condition; he had previously been treated for an illness earlier in the year that required medical care at facilities in Rome. On 11 January 2022 he died at a hospital in Aviano, prompting outpourings of condolences from leaders across the European Union, including messages from the President of the European Commission and heads of state such as the President of France and the Prime Minister of Italy. His passing led to tributes in parliamentary sessions in Strasbourg and periods of official mourning in Italy and at EU institutions.
His legacy includes efforts to elevate the profile of the European Parliament as a watchdog over executive power and a defender of social and civil rights across the European Union. He received posthumous honors and accolades from institutions such as the European Commission, national parliaments including the Italian Parliament, and civic organizations. His initiatives on humanitarian responses, media freedom, and parliamentary transparency influenced subsequent debates in bodies like the European Council and various European Parliament committees. Memorials and commemorations were organized by political groups including the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats and cultural institutions in Florence and Rome.
Category:1956 births Category:2022 deaths Category:Members of the European Parliament for Italy Category:Italian journalists Category:Presidents of the European Parliament