The European Parliament’s newly elected leader is Roberta Metsola president of the European Parliament, is to replace David Sassoli who died earlier this month, das before his term was coming to an end.
Roberta Metsola president from Malta
Metsola, a Maltese MEP known for her anti-abortion views, has been elected to succeed David Sassoli as the president of the European Parliament, becoming the third woman to occupy the high-ranking position.
Her Twitter bio is still being updated as it shows her as one of the 14 vice presidents that served under David Sassoli, during his term as the President of the EU.
“Europe is back. Europe is the future. Vive l’Europe,” she declared in her first speech as president.
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The growing central parties of Europe
Metsola, a member of the centre-wing European People’s Party (EPP), was among four candidates for the position, alongside Spain’s Sira Rego (radical left), Poland’s Kosma Zlotowski (ECR, Eurosceptics) and Sweden’s Alice Bah Kuhnke (Greens).
Zlotowski dropped out of the race before voting started, paving the way for Metsola to gather support from all the centrist and conservative parties. The Maltese received 458 votes in favour, while Bah Kuhnke and Rego fell behind, with 101 and 57 votes, respectively.
The female leader of the EU
Each candidate made their case to their fellow MEPs in Strasbourg on Tuesday to succeed Sassoli, who died on 11 January and whose term of office was already scheduled to end this week.
Metsola will be the third female leader of the EU. She will preside over the 705-member assembly, after France’s Simone Veil (1979-1982) and Nicole Fontaine (1999-2002).
The president has a number of powers, including ruling on the admissibility of texts and amendments submitted to the assembly for a vote, in addition to leading debates. He or she also represents the institution at European summits of the 27 Member States.
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