L’Italian David Sassoli was on everyone’s mind at the European Parliament on Monday 17 January. In the evening, deputies and European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, paid him a very last tribute, he who died on January 11 before the end of his mandate at the head of the institution established in Strasbourg. Charles Michel, President of the European Council, saluted the memory of this native of Florence, a “proud European”, “entirely turned towards others”, and driven by “ideals of social justice and solidarity”. The Belgian statesman also paid tribute to a man with a “warm, simple, authentic, smiling and firm” personality.
“You naturally inspired respect, well beyond your function,” he said in front of a portrait of David Sassoli, under which had been placed a vast bouquet of white roses. French President Emmanuel Macron, who will deliver a speech in Strasbourg on Wednesday to launch the semester of France’s presidency of the Council of the EU, expressed a “feeling of admiration” for “a man of rare benevolence”, whose smile , the ideals and the vision were quite broad for a continent”. He hailed a “fervent architect” of European construction, and underlined David Sassoli’s commitment to “dialogue” with the countries of the Balkans or the southern Mediterranean.
A fierce struggle for democracy
The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, absent from the ceremony for health reasons, made a point of mentioning, in a speech sent to the media, David Sassoli’s “passion” for Europe and democracy. She also recalled David Sassoli’s youth commitment to Rome for the memory of the “White Roses”, a group of German resistance fighters opposed to Nazism. “David’s fight for democracy, freedom and the rule of law has been an inspiration to us all. His fight was a beacon of hope,” said Enrico Letta, Italy’s former prime minister and close friend of David Sassoli.
READ ALSODavid Sassoli, from the Rai newscast to the EU Parliament
Elected MEP in 2009, Vice-President of Parliament in 2014 then President in 2019, David Sassoli died on January 11 at the age of 65, a few days after being admitted to hospital. He had already been hospitalized this fall for pneumonia which kept him away from the European Parliament for several weeks. His term ended this month, halfway through the five-year legislature. The European Parliament is due to elect his successor on Tuesday.