European Parliament President David Sassoli dies age 65

David Sassoli, an Italian journalist who worked his way up in politics while defending the downtrodden and repressed to become president of the European Union's parliament, died at a hospital in Italy early Tuesday. He was 65.

European Council President Charles Michel called Sassoli a "sincere and passionate European. We already miss his human warmth, his generosity, his friendliness and his smile."

Sassoli, a socialist, had been hospitalized since Dec. 26 because of abnormal functioning of his immune system, Cuillo said in a statement released the day before Sassoli's death.

Sassoli had been struggling for months with poor health after he suffered pneumonia caused by the legionella bacteria in September. His health steadily declined afterward and he was forced to miss several important legislative meetings. Yet, as much as possible, he stayed on the job, where his vigor and easy smile had always been a trademark. He was at his strongest when he took up the cause of migrants who died crossing the Mediterranean or dissidents such as Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is taking on the Kremlin from a jail cell.

"Everyone loved his smile and his kindness, yet he knew how to fight for what he believed in," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, reminiscing how a much younger Sassoli had traveled to Germany to see the infamous Berlin Wall come down well over three decades ago.