The duties of the President of the European Parliament will be designated to Roberta Metsola as First Vice-President of the European Parliament, this newsroom can confirm.

She will assume the duties after EU Parliament President David Sassoli died at a hospital in Italy early Tuesday. He was 65.

Roberta Metsola, the Christian Democrat who was already expected to take over from Sassoli as the new President next week, said "I am heartbroken. Europe has lost a leader, I have a lost a friend, democracy has lost a champion." She said Sassoli "dedicated his life to making the world a better, fairer place."

Sassoli, a socialist, had been hospitalized since Dec. 26 because of abnormal functioning of his immune system.