It came as no great surprise on Tuesday 16 July when Malta’s Roberta Metsola was re-elected President of the European Parliament for a second two-and-a-half-year mandate. She was elected by an overwhelming majority of 562 votes out of 699, against the only other candidate, Spain’s Irene Montero (The Left), whose participation was largely symbolic, receiving just 61 votes.
During her speech, Ms Montero, who was partially booed by her far-right colleagues, presented herself as a defender of social justice, advocating a “Europe for peace”, feminist, green, anti-racist, anti-fascist and in favour of workers’ rights.
At the end of the ballot, which only required one round, Ms Metsola, from the ranks of the EPP, spoke out in favour of a “Europe for all”. In a European Parliament 54% renewed, where the forces of the radical right have consolidated following the elections of 9 June and are now organised in three groups - the Sovereignists, the Patriots for Europe and the Europe of Sovereign Nations -, she stated: “Ours must be a Europe that remembers. (...) For all those who were displaced, who were disappeared, for those who stood in front of tanks and bullets on the path away from the totalitarianism that took over so much of Europe for so long”.
“And there is no better place than here in Strasbourg, at the seat of the European Parliament, in this living symbol of reconciliation, to remember the past and build the future”, she added in French.
Calling for action to combat the risks of autocracy, she insisted that: “We have learned that we can never take democracy for granted”.
In this sense, the situation in Ukraine was another priority, “at the top of (her) concerns”, as stated by the newly re-elected President, who reaffirmed her support for the country, recalling the importance of European solidarity and the defence of freedom, in line with her actions during her last mandate.
The Chamber, 39% of which is made up of women, also heard its President talk about gender equality issues: “We cannot leave Europe a better place if too many women are still unable to feel part of it (...) This must become their Europe too”.
Lastly, Ms Metsola reiterated her commitment to strengthening the European Parliament and turning electoral messages into concrete political action.
She recalled the importance of an effective legislative framework for immigration and asylum, as well as the need for digital innovation and the fight against disinformation. On the climate front, Ms Metsola said she was convinced that the EU was capable of maintaining its leadership role, but also of “finding a way to achieve our targets in a manner that keeps everyone on board”.
Ms Metsola is due to hand over her presidency in 2027, during the second half of the tenth legislature, to a successor, probably a Socialist.
Roberta Metsola’s speech: https://aeur.eu/f/d1x (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)