David Sassoli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Sassoli
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Official portrait, 2019
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| President of the European Parliament | |
| In office 3 July 2019 – 11 January 2022 |
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| Vice President |
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| Preceded by | Antonio Tajani |
| Succeeded by | Roberta Metsola |
| Member of the European Parliament for Central Italy |
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| In office 14 July 2009 – 11 January 2022 |
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| Succeeded by | Camilla Laureti |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Maria Sassoli
30 May 1956 Florence, Italy |
| Died | 11 January 2022 (aged 65) Aviano, Italy |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Other political affiliations |
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats |
| Spouse | Alessandra Vittorini |
| Children | 2 |
| Signature | .jpg){kind=small} |
David Maria Sassoli (born 30 May 1956 – died 11 January 2022) was an Italian politician and journalist. He was the President of the European Parliament from July 2019 until he passed away in January 2022. Sassoli was first chosen as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 2009.
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Early Life and Career
David Sassoli was born in Florence, Italy, in 1956. His parents were from Florence and Prato. He studied political science at the Sapienza University of Rome.
He started his career as a journalist at a newspaper called Il Tempo in Rome. Later, he worked with other newspapers and a news agency called ASCA. In 1985, he had his first big national story. He interviewed a former terrorist in Paris. That same year, he joined the newspaper Il Giorno. For seven years, he reported on important political and news events. He even saw the Berlin Wall come down in 1989 and helped to bring it down. He became a professional journalist on 3 July 1986.
In 1992, Sassoli became a reporter for a TV news show called TG3. He also worked with Michele Santoro on TV programs like Il rosso e il nero (The Red and the Black). In 1996, he hosted a show called Cronaca in diretta (Live coverage). After a few years, he became a main news anchor for TG1, a very popular news program. In 2007, he became the deputy director of TG1. Sassoli also supported an Italian group called Articolo 21, liberi di... (Article 21, free to...). This group works to promote freedom of expression for everyone.
Political Career (2009–2019)
In 2009, David Sassoli left his job as a journalist to become a politician. He joined the Democratic Party (PD), which is a centre-left party. He ran in the European Parliament election for the Central Italy area. On 7 June, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He received the most votes in his area, with 412,502 people choosing him. From 2009 to 2014, he led the PD group in the Parliament.
On 9 October 2012, Sassoli announced he wanted to become the mayor of Rome. He ran in the primary elections for the centre-left group in 2013. He came in second place with 28% of the votes. Senator Ignazio Marino won the primary and later became the mayor of Rome.
In the European Parliament election of 2014, Sassoli was elected again as an MEP. He received 206,170 votes. His party, the Democratic Party, did very well in this election, getting 41% of all votes.
On 1 July 2014, Sassoli was chosen as the Vice-President of the European Parliament. He received 393 votes, making him the second most popular candidate from the Socialist group. He also worked with a group in the European Parliament that focused on extreme poverty and human rights.
President of the European Parliament (2019–2022)
In the 2019 European Parliament election, Sassoli was re-elected as an MEP with 128,533 votes. On 2 July 2019, his political group, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), suggested him as the new president of the European Parliament. The next day, Sassoli was elected president with 345 votes. He took over from Antonio Tajani. He was the seventh Italian person to hold this important position.
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In his speech after being elected, Sassoli spoke about the European project. He called it a dream of peace and democracy. He said that people in Europe still believed in this project. He also said that Europe would be stronger if its Parliament played a more important role.
As his first official act, Sassoli honored the victims of terrorism in Europe. He visited one of the places where the 2016 Brussels bombings happened. He wanted to remember the victims at the Maalbeek/Maelbeek metro station. He said, "We must pay tribute to the victims in the capital of Europe. This is a tribute to all the victims of terrorism."
On 19 December 2019, Sassoli asked for the release of Oriol Junqueras. Junqueras was a former leader in Catalonia and had just been elected as an MEP. He was in prison after a political crisis in Spain. As an MEP, Junqueras had special protection called parliamentary immunity. Sassoli urged the Spanish authorities to follow the European Parliament's decision.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started to affect Europe, Sassoli took action. On 2 March 2020, he stopped visits to the European Parliament. He also canceled over 100 events. On 10 March, he stayed at home in Brussels after visiting Italy. This was because Italy had ordered a national lockdown. On 19 March, he called a special meeting of Parliament for 26 March. This meeting was to approve new rules to deal with COVID-19. It was the first time they used a system for voting from a distance.
In June 2020, he signed an international appeal. It was about the "purple economy," which means bringing culture back into the economy. This appeal was published in major newspapers.
In April 2021, Russia's government banned Sassoli from entering their country. This was in response to the European Union placing sanctions on some Russians.
Later, a court in Poland decided that some parts of the Treaty on European Union did not fit with Poland's own laws. Sassoli said that this decision "cannot remain without consequences." He stated that the laws of the EU must always be followed. He added that breaking this rule challenges one of the main ideas of the European Union.
On 14 December 2021, Sassoli announced that he would not try to be president again in January 2022. He said he did not want to cause problems for the European front.
He was also considered as a possible candidate for president of Italy in 2022.
Personal Life
Sassoli was married to Alessandra Vittorini. They had two children, Giulio and Livia. He was a Catholic who believed in social justice. He was an active member of Articolo 21, liberi di..., a group that works to protect freedom of expression. Sassoli loved classical music and was a big fan of the ACF Fiorentina football team from his hometown.
Death
In September 2021, Sassoli was in the hospital in Strasbourg. He had a serious lung infection called pneumonia caused by legionella bacteria. Because of this illness, he could not do his duties for more than two months. In December 2021, Sassoli was hospitalized again in Italy. This time, it was due to a serious problem with his immune system, made worse by his multiple myeloma, a type of cancer.
David Sassoli passed away on 11 January 2022, at the age of 65. A special public funeral was held for him on 14 January in Rome. The ceremony was led by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, a close friend of Sassoli. As he wished, Sassoli was buried in the cemetery of Sutri, a town near Viterbo where he often spent time with his family.
Recognition and Awards
- Premio Ischia Internazionale di Giornalismo as Best Television Reporter of the Year (1997).
- Honorary Member of the National Association of Italian Authors (2018).
- Honorary President of the Accademia Cittadella Nicolaiana (2019).
- Key to the city of Florence (2019).
- Ventotene Key of Europe Award (2020).
- The EU Treaties Hall at the Palazzo della Farnesina was renamed in his honor (2022).
- The College of Europe named its 2022/23 student group in his honor (2022).
See also
In Spanish: David Sassoli para niños
