President of European Peoples’ Party and former Belgian Prime Minister Wilfried Martens has died at the age of 77, Belgian media announced this morning.

Under his leadership, the EPP has grown into the largest political group in the European Parliament and has enormously influenced EU politics,euractiv.com reported.

Martens was hospitalised at the end of August for blood coagulation problems and released on 9 September.

On 8 October, he transferred his functions as EPP president to Joseph Daul, the political group chairman in the European Parliament.