Maltese politician, Roberta Metsola has been re-elected for the second term as President of the European Parliament.
In a vote held on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, Metsola secured 562 votes out of the 623 ballots.
Irene Montero from Spain, the challenger presented by the Left, obtained only 61 votes.
Metsola received more than 90% of valid votes, the biggest share of any President of the European Parliament in history.
The Maltese lawmaker, who in 2022 became the first woman in 20 years to head the European Union assembly, is only the second President, after Germany’s Martin Schulz, to win another term since the EU Parliament became a directly elected institution in 1979.
In continuing her role, Metsola will preside over the 720-member parliament which negotiates and adopts EU legislative proposals and approves the bloc’s budget.
In her speech following the vote, Metsola spoke of a Europe for everyone, wanting people to recapture that sense of belief and enthusiasm to make the shared space safer, fairer, stronger and better.
She said that the comfort of easy politics does not offer real solutions, and so Europe must continue building on being the counter to autocracy, and not being afraid to take the difficult path.
Metsola also said that equality in Europe must offer the same chances to people to fulfill their potential, the equality of opportunity which recognises differences.
Metsola urged lawmakers to unite and work on creating “a Europe for everyone.”
She stressed that lawmakers share responsibility in leaving Europe a better place than the one they found, and mentioned the security and defence framework which keeps people safe in the face of threats, keeps the peace, and understands that what is being faced is real.
“The successes we remember the most are the ones where Europe has simplified people’s lives, giving real solutions. We can give people hope and dignity.”
Roberta Metsola
She spoke of pensions and wages that meet social expectations, and the “looming” housing crisis in Europe, where she said that the EP must have the tools to address it.
She promised to implement “proper” migration legislation.
Additionally, Metsola noted that Europe must also mean community, and a safe space for women and people who want to be and love who they want.
She said that democracy cannot be taken for granted, and Europe must “plug the gap that is so dark with a viable solution, in line with our European values.”
Ukraine War To Remain Top Of Parliament Agenda
Moreover, the re-elected President of the European Parliament asserted that the Russian aggression on Ukraine will remain on top of the Parliament’s agenda.
Metsola said that the EU must prepare for its enlargement, to extend Europe’s hand to the Western Balkan countries who are not yet members, such as Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
“We must be ready to face this new world, we must not be afraid to face down autocrats, and live up to the promise, and stand for Europe, building a union which works for all of us.”
Roberta Metsola
Metsola also spoke about the situation in the Middle East, where she said that “even in the fog of war, ours must be the voice of humanity pushing for an end to the violence and for a two-state-solution, as well as the return of all hostages.”
“We must be a Europe which remembers, and learns from past struggles, and recognise the fight of so many who stood for their ideals, those who stood in front of tanks and bullets,” Metsola said.
Later on Tuesday, Members of the European Parliament will vote on the rest of the Parliament’s political leadership when fourteen Vice Presidents are elected.
The results of these elections are expected to indicate the political agreements reached in the month following the EU elections in early June.
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