The President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, Saturday expressed "sadness" over the death of the hardliner ex-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "He has played a key role in the recent history of Israel. In these moments of mourning, I convey my heartfelt condolences to Prime Minister Sharon's family and to the government and the people of Israel," he said in a brief three-line statement. Sharon,85, was in a coma for eight years following a stroke.