European Parliament President David Sassoli dies at age 65

By RAF CASERT
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — David Sassoli, the Italian journalist who worked his way up in politics and became president of the European Union’s parliament, has died at a hospital in Italy. He was 65. His spokesperson announced his death in a tweet. He did not provide any details, but said in a statement a day earlier that Sassoli, a socialist, had been hospitalized since Dec. 26 due to abnormal functioning of his immune system. Sassoli had been struggling for months with poor health yet stayed on the job, where his vigor and easy smile were a trademark. He was first elected to the European Parliament in 2009. He won another term in 2014 and became its president in 2019.