On Wednesday 24 November, the EPP group of the European Parliament elected Roberta Metsola from Malta in the first round to campaign on behalf of the Christian Democrats to replace David Sassoli as President of the European Parliament.
With a turnout of 98%, Ms Metsola received 112 votes or 64.4% of the vote from EPP group members, compared to 44 for Dutch MEP Esther de Lange and 18 for Austrian MEP Othmar Karas.
Her first task, at all levels, will be to “build a pro-European centrist majority”, including working with the Social Democrats, said Ms Metsola, saying she was “very honoured” by being chosen and that she was ready to “build bridges” with the other groups.
The Maltese MEP and former EPP coordinator for migration and home affairs in the Committee on Civil Liberties will have to negotiate with the other groups as per the informal agreement to share the European Parliament presidency, which was sealed in July 2019 (see EUROPE 12838/10).
The leader of the EPP group, Manfred Weber (Germany), welcomed the fact that his political family was “united” around the candidate. He praised the work of David Sassoli, who has enabled the European Parliament to continue sitting during the Covid-19 pandemic. He noted in passing that the EPP had respected the informal agreement on the European Parliament presidency at the beginning of the legislature by giving their support to the Italian Socialist. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic and Mathieu Bion)