EU Parliament’s head in hospital for over 2 weeks

BRUSSELS

The head of the European Parliament got hospitalized and canceled all his official programs, the EU institution announced on Monday.

“The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, has been in hospital in Italy since 26 December,” Sassoli’s office said in a statement, adding that all his presidential activities were canceled.

Sassoli was hospitalized because of “a serious complication due to a dysfunction of the immune system,” the announcement explained.

In September last year, he was admitted to hospital with pneumonia, and was unable to chair the plenary sessions and attend high-level meetings for weeks.

Unrelated to his medical condition, Sassoli will not run for a second term at the EP presidential elections to be held at the plenary session on Jan. 17-20.