David Sassoli elected as European Parliament President

(Brussels) – Newly-elected European Parliament President David Sassoli is a former television journalist who turned to politics 10 years ago as a centre-left MEP.

Parliament chose the 63-year-old social democrat to succeed another Italian, Antonio Tajani, an ally of Silvio Berlusconi from the right-wing EPP group.

His election means Italy keeps one of its three key European jobs, following the departure of European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi and of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

The sober intellectual will not be an ally of the populist and far-right coalition currently ruling in Rome.