David-Maria Sassoli, a member of the Italian Democratic Party, which is part of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), was on Wednesday elected the new European Parliament president, receiving the support of 345 out of a total of 667 MEPs in the second round of voting in Strasbourg.

This 62-year-old politician and journalist managed to collect a 50% majority in the second round of voting and he will be at the helm of the EP in the next two and a half years.

A former vice-president of the European Parliament, 63-year-old Sassoli is known to lawmakers for chairing plenary sessions in Strasbourg.