David-Maria Sassoli makes a speech at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, July 3, 2019. Italian MEP David-Maria Sassoli was elected president of the European Parliament on Wednesday, winning 345 votes in the second round of voting. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

Italian MEP David-Maria Sassoli was elected president of the European Parliament on Wednesday, winning 345 votes in the second round of voting.

Sassoli has been an MEP for the centre-left S&D group since 2009, representing Central Italy, and is a member of Italy's centre-left Democratic Party.

Before entering politics in 2009, Sassoli worked as a journalist. He'd contributed to local newspapers, worked as a TV news reporter and presenter before becoming a deputy director of TG1, Italy's state-owned broadcaster.

The new European Parliament voted earlier Wednesday for the successor of the outgoing President Antonio Tajani. In the first round of voting, Sassoli won 325 votes. To win, a candidate must get absolute majority of the valid votes cast in the parliament.