EU The European Parliament elects a new President: Roberta Metsola to take up a prominent position

Brussels

European Parliament will elect a new president on Tuesday for the remainder of 2024. Maltese MEP strong Roberta Metsola, who has now served as Vice – President.

Metsola, 42, representing the largest group in the European Parliament, the European People’s Party, has a link to Finland, as he is married to a Finnish Ukko Metsola with.

Former President of Parliament, Italian David Sassoli died a week ago.

The President’s seat is significant and visible not only inside Parliament but also externally. Among other things, the President attends EU leaders’ summits.

Now we are in the middle of the parliamentary term, when Parliament is constantly being reorganized, for example by renewing the leadership of the political groups and committees and the bureau. Often, however, the same people continue.

In any case, the President would have changed, as Sassoli announced in December that he was no longer available. Sassoli represented the second largest group in the Parliament, the S&D, the Socialists and Democrats.

At the start of Parliament, the groups agreed that the Social Democrats would have the seat of President for the first 2.5 years, after which it would be the turn of the EPP. Along the way, it seemed that the deal should not have been fully met, and earlier in the fall the Social Democrats were estimated to remain interested in the next season.

Now, however, the group seems to have come behind Roberta Metsola, along with Renew, the Renewable Europe group, which is Parliament’s third largest. The situation will last until Tuesday’s vote.

Metsola has also received new candidates. The Greens nominate a Swede as their own candidate Alice Bah Kuhnken and the left of the Spanish Sira Regon. The European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) has elected a representative from the Polish Law and Justice Party Kosma Złotowskin.

A total of 14 Vice-Presidents will also be elected to Parliament Heidi Hautala will renew his seat on the Vice-Bureau for the remainder of the term.

The European Parliament in Strasbourg makes history by voting on the President by remote vote. Corona time forced a change in the practice of voting for the President by secret ballot.

Roberta Metsola would not be the first female president of the European Parliament, but she could become the youngest elected.

Metsola has been a MEP since 2013 and has a profile, especially in immigration policy. Prior to his parliamentary term, he worked for the Maltese EU Delegation and the EU External Action Service.

Metsola’s spouse Ukko Metsola was the Coalition Party’s candidate in the 2009 elections, but was not elected. Roberta Metsola was nominated in the same election. He, too, did not immediately get a seat, but rose to Parliament from a reserve position.

The couple, who live in Brussels and Malta, have four sons.