EU Parliament President Sassoli Hospitalised With ‘Serious’ Health Complication
David Sassoli, 65, the European Union Parliament President has been admitted to hospital with severe health complications.
He has been hospitalised in Italy since 26th December, 2021.
Sassoli’s admission comes towards the end of his term as European Parliament president this month, and the Italian politician, who forms part of the European People’s Party (EPP), has already ruled out a second term at the presidency.
As reported by Politico, Sassoli’s decision not to contest the presidency has removed the biggest obstacle for Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola, who is running as the EPP candidate and is seeking to land the highest-ranking EU role ever occupied by a Maltese politician.
A statement by Roberto Cuillo, spokesperson for the European Parliament, about Sassoli’s statement read:
“This hospitalisation was necessary because of a serious complication due to a dysfunction of the immune system. As a result, all official activities of the President of the European Parliament have been canceled.”
This is the second admission in a span of a few months, with Sassoli admitted to hospital last September with pneumonia.
Last December, Sassoli had decided not to run for re-election, while parliament seeks to appoint a new president later this month.
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
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