The President of the European Council, the Belgian Charles Michel, hailed David Sassoli as a “proud european“, “totally focused on others“, animated by “ideals of social justice and solidarity“.
Beyond the political leader, he described a personality “warm, imbued with simplicity, authentic, smiling and firm“.
“You naturally inspired respect, well beyond your function“, he declared in front of a portrait of David Sassoli, under which had been deposited a vast bouquet of white roses.
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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, ideals and vision were wide enough for a continent”.
He greeted a “fervent architect” of European construction, and underlined the commitment to the “dialogue” by David Sassoli with the countries of the Balkans or the southern Mediterranean.
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 transmitted to the media, the “passion” by David Sassoli for Europe and Democracy.
She also recalled the youth commitment of David Sassoli in Rome for the memory of “white roses“, a group of German resistance fighters opposed to Nazism.
“David’s struggle for democracy, freedom and the rule of law has been an inspiration to us all. His struggle was a beacon of hope“said Enrico Letta, a former head of the Italian government and a close friend of David Sassoli.
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.
