European Parliament President David Sassoli has died at the age of 65, his spokesman says.
The Italian former journalist and centre-left politician had been seriously ill for more than two weeks and cancelled all official activities.
Mr Sassoli was admitted to hospital in Italy last month due to a serious complication with his immune system.
He died in the early hours of Tuesday in a hospital in Aviano, his spokesman, Roberto Cuillo, announced on Twitter.
In September, Mr Sassoli was taken to hospital in Strasbourg where he was treated for a severe case of pneumonia caused by legionella. He later told his followers on social media that he had suffered a relapse while recuperating in Italy.
He worked remotely during October, officially resuming his political duties in November. But he was again hospitalised on 26 December, Italian media report.
"Pneumonia is an ugly beast the important thing is to avoid relapses and the convalescence must be adequate," he told Italan outlet Corriere in September.
A vote to elect his replacement had already been planned for later this month, and Mr Sassoli had indicated that he would not seek re-election.
More about:
