The 11th of January marks a day of mourning for Europeans as European Parliament President David Sassoli passed away at age 65 at 1.15am in a hospital in Aviano, Italy. President Sassoli was known to have always been a gentleman who was earnest in his work. Known affectionately as ‘Il Presidente’, he was a Progressive who garnered respect from all sides in the hemicycle despite only taking on the Presidency in 2019. Prior to his ascent to European Politics in 2009, Sassoli was a journalist and news anchor for the Italian state broadcaster RAI. As a stalwart in Italian journalism, he was equally well respected for his sincere manner in both journalistic circles and by viewers.
JEF Malta joins citizens across the continent in the remembrance of a great European who in his own words was committed to the “fight for a parliament that is modern, more transparent, environmentally sound, and accessible to citizens”.