Italy's president Sergio Mattarella sent a message to former Italian journalist David Sasssoli to congratulate him on his election Wednesday as European Parliament president.
"On behalf of all Italians, it is my personal desire to wish you many congratulations on your election as president of the European Parliament," read the message.
"I send you my most heartfelt good wishes for your full success in this most important role," the message went on.
Sassoli, from Italy's centre-left Democratic Party received the support of 345 out of a total 667 MEPs in the second round of voting in Strasbourg in a secret ballot.
"The high level of responsibility assigned to you by EU lawmakers is a testimony to the high level of trust they have in you and is an act of recognition of your consistent and extensive commitments to European institutions," Mattarella stated.
Sassoli, 63, a former journalist, was elected European Parliament vice-president in 2014 with 393 votes, making him the second most voted Socialist candidate. He was first elected an MEP for Central Italy in 2009.
In a speech after his election as European Parliament president, Sassoli spoke of an "imperfect" union in need of reform, calling for the EU to return to the spirit of its founding fathers, who swapped warfare and nationalism for peace and equality.
"We need to strengthen our capacity to play a leading role in democracy," Sassoli said.
Sassoli replaces another Italian, ex-army officer Antonio Tajani, a member of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's conservative Forza Italia party.
