Roberta Metsola, the new President of the European Parliament

Roberta Metzola, 43, from Malta, is the new president of the European Parliament. Positive reactions, but also criticism from MEPs.

A spokeswoman for a younger generation of European politicians, Roberta Metzola has always said that Europe is not just a plan of the bureaucratic elites, but a passion for life. In her journey so far, the Maltese politician has preferred to focus on European values, not on the crises that occasionally shook the European edifice. It will now have the opportunity to demonstrate its pro-European beliefs. On Tuesday, exactly the day she turned 43, Roberta Metzola was elected the new President of the European Parliament. He succeeds the Italian David Sassoli, who passed away prematurely, at the age of 65.

The vote took place in the Plenary Session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. It was certainly a wonderful birthday present for Roberta Metzola, but it was no surprise. As early as the beginning of the parliamentary term in 2019, the three largest groups in Parliament – the European People’s Party (EPP), the Alliance of Social Democrats and the Liberals (Renew) – had agreed that a Socialist would take over the presidency of the European Parliament, but he would be succeeded in the middle of his term by a conservative politician.

“A politician who bridges differences“

Roberta Metzola, from the conservative Partit Nazzjonalista in Malta, quickly emerged as the ideal candidate. Her main qualification, as many point out, is the ability to bridge political differences and maintain contacts beyond party barriers. “We are used to the crises and the things that divide us, but the election of Roberta and her popularity show that we can, if we want, focus on what unites us,” said David Casa, who is also elected with the Parti. Nazzjonalista in the European Parliament. For the first time, a Maltese politician is taking over this top position. Roberta Metzola is the third female President of the European Parliament, after Simon Veil and Nicole Fontaine.

Two short videos uploaded by the EPP on social media shortly before Metsola’s election show us how she wants to see herself: as a woman who can inspire other women, as a mother of four who successfully combines motherhood and family with her career, as a fighter of life. But success was not always self-evident. Metsola was elected to the European Parliament only in 2013, after two failed attempts. In 2020 he became Vice-President of Parliament. As a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), he defended his right to asylum. Following the brutal assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galicia, she made a clear statement in favor of the free press, and repeatedly and publicly called on the Maltese government to crack down on corruption.

Ambition and determination

MEP David Casa says he has known Roberta Metzola since she was a student. She had studied law at the University of Malta, standing out “for her ambition and determination”. The two had launched a campaign for Malta’s accession to the EU, which was apparently justified in 2004. Metzola herself says that her vision of European integration had motivated her to become politically active, but reduced her presence in the Legal library. …

For the Greek MEP of N.D. Stelios Kybouropoulos and Roberta Metsola have the courage and determination needed to “become the face of a Parliament with power and extroversion”. The labeling is not accidental, as the European Parliament often finds it difficult to sharpen its political “profile” vis-.-Vis other institutions, such as the Commission and the European Council.

Criticism of Metsola’s attitude towards abortion

But there is also criticism of Roberta Metzola, especially from the political groups of the Greens and the Left. And this on a very specific issue: as an MEP, the new President of the European Parliament had repeatedly rejected resolutions calling for the legalization of abortion in all EU Member States. Of course, her position is not surprising, as Malta has legislated one of the the strictest abortion bans in the world. In fact, it is the only EU country that completely prohibits abortion, without conditions and footnotes.

“This is no excuse,” said Manon Aubrey, a French left-wing MEP, who spoke on condition of anonymity because women in Poland had been fighting for the right to self-determination for two years. their body “. On the other hand, Aubrey recognizes that Metsola belongs to the “progressive” part of the EPP, supporting for example the rights of the LGBTQI community. “This is a contradictory attitude,” said the French MEP. The Spanish MEP of the Left, Sira Rego, also looks hesitant. “It is important for women to take positions with symbolic and political power, but it is equally important to implement a truly feminist policy,” she said.

Metsola: “Personally“ I am not against

Maltese MEP David Casa does not think the issue of abortions will cause problems for the new president. After all, he points out, “the presidency is certainly not going to be limited to a single issue.” For the rest, Casa takes it for granted that a Maltese MEP expresses the views of the Maltese people. In this strictly universal country, he recalls, all polls show that people reject abortions.

But what does Roberta Metzola herself say? Speaking recently to the French newspaper Le Figaro, she states that she does not recognize herself in the portrait-caricature that some people sketch against her. She even clarifies that she, personally, “has no problem with abortions” and is clearly in favor of women’s rights. The future will show. For her part, Manon Abry hopes that the new president “will not only represent the interests of her country, but of all MEPs”, who in the past have repeatedly condemned any national anti-abortion initiatives in its member states. EU.

Marina Strauss

Edited by: Giannis Papadimitriou

Source: Deutsche Welle