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.
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