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Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT) has been re-elected as President of the European Parliament on Tuesday, securing 562 votes out of 699 cast. Metsola’s re-election ensures her leadership of the Parliament for the first two and a half years of the 10th legislative term, marking a significant continuation of her presidency.
The election saw Metsola overwhelmingly defeating her opponent, Irene Montero (The Left, ES), who garnered 61 votes. With 76 blank or invalid votes, the absolute majority required was 312, a threshold Metsola surpassed comfortably.
Born in Malta in 1979, Metsola has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 2013. She made history as the Parliament’s acting President following the passing of President David Sassoli on January 11, 2022. Shortly after, on January 18, 2022, she was elected President for the latter half of the 9th legislative term, becoming the third female President of the European Parliament after Simone Veil and Nicole Fontaine.
Addressing the Parliament following her re-election, Metsola spoke passionately about her vision for Europe. “Together, we must stand up for the politics of hope, for the dream that is Europe. I want people to recapture a sense of belief and enthusiasm for our project. A belief to make our shared space safer, fairer, more just and more equal. A belief that together we are stronger and we are better. A belief that ours is a Europe for all,” Metsola declared, setting a hopeful tone for her continued presidency.
The full text of President Metsola’s address will soon be available on the Parliament’s website.
Metsola’s role as President includes a broad range of executive and representative powers, crucial for presiding over and ensuring the proper conduct of Parliament’s proceedings. Article 14 of the Treaty on the European Union mandates the election of the President from among Parliament’s members, with each President serving a renewable term of two and a half years. Metsola joins a distinguished line of leaders, being the 32nd President since the Parliament’s inception in 1952, and the 18th since the introduction of universal suffrage in 1979.
