Memorial ceremony for President David Maria Sassoli

Media are invited to follow the ceremony, which takes place at the start of Monday’s plenary session at 18.00 in Strasbourg.

When: Monday 17 January 2022 18:00 – 19:30

Where: European Parliament hemicycle in Strasbourg

The ceremony will be chaired by Parliament’s acting President, Roberta Metsola. It will start with the projection of the short video “David Maria Sassoli, President of the European Parliament”. Former Italian Prime Minister and MEP Enrico Letta will then give a eulogy, followed by a musical interlude by violoncellist Anne Gastinel.

European Council President Charles Michel and France’s President Emmanuel Macron, also on behalf of the rotating Presidency of the EU Council, will then take the floor, followed by EP political groups’ leaders. The European anthem, Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”, will be played at the end of the event.

President Sassoli’s family, including his wife and children, will attend the ceremony. Several high-profile public figures, including those holding the highest political offices in EU countries and institutions, will also be present. These include Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi, Luxembourg’s Xavier Bettel, Greece’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Croatia’s Andrej Plenković and Malta’s Robert Abela.

Presidents from EU member states parliaments who will join the ceremony are Belgium’s Eliane Tillieux, Estonia’s Jüri Ratas, Cyprus’ Annita Demetriou, Lithuania’s Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Spain’s Meritxell Batet and Latvia’s Ināra Mūrniece as well as the vice-president of Finland’s parliament Antti Rinne. European Court of Justice President Koen Lenaerts and European Investment Bank President Werner Hoyer will also attend.

Here the full programme of the event .

President David Sassoli passed away on 11 January.

Webstreaming

The ceremony will be webstreamed live on Parliament’s Multimedia Centre and on EbS+ .

More information available here on our services for media .

Practical information for journalists

Accredited journalists wishing to attend the meeting can do so, on condition that they respect social distancing (1.5 metres). As of 3 November, all people entering Parliament’s buildings are requested to present a valid EU Digital COVID Certificate, including journalists. The EU Digital COVID Certificate proves that a person is either fully vaccinated, has immunity after having recovered from COVID-19 or can show a recent negative PCR test result. Both digital and paper formats of the EU Digital COVID Certificate or of a recognised equivalent certificate will be accepted.

Proof of a negative result of a PCR test carried out within the last 72 hours in Belgium, Luxembourg or France will also be accepted. Please note that the existing precautionary measures, including the compulsory wearing of a medical face mask and temperature checks at entrances, remain in place.