David Sassoli reacts after being elected new president of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. File/Reuters

European Parliament President David Sassoli has died, his spokesperson Roberto Cuillo said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Sassoli, 65, passed away at 1.15 am on Jan. 11 in Italy, where he was hospitalised, Cuillo added.

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Sassoli has been hospitalised in Italy since Dec. 26 due to a "serious complication" related to his immune system, his office had said on Monday.

Elected in 2019 as president, a role similar to that of speaker in a national parliament, his two-and-a-half-year mandate was dominated by the coronavirus pandemic.

This file photo shows the ongoing session of  European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

Good-natured Sassoli earned the parliament's respect with his sense of organisation, the attention his team paid to teleworking, a remote voting system and his ability to resist French pressure to bring elected officials back to Strasbourg.

The European Parliament, headquartered in in Strasbourg, France, represents the 450 million citizens of the European Union and refers to itself as "the heart of European democracy.” It is one of the seven branches of the EU and has more than 700 members directly elected by its member nations.