Roberta Metsola Confirmed as President of EU Parliament

Maltese politician Roberta Metsola (European People’s Party group) and outgoing president of the European Parliament was approved by a very large majority for another two and a half years.

Metsola received 562 preferences out of 699 voters, far surpassing the only challenger, Spanish Podemos member Irene Montero of the leftist group, who received 61 votes, while 74 were blank or invalid ballots.

“Thank you for your trust,” Metsola said after the vote, “this will be a parliament for everyone in Europe that honors the promises of the founding fathers. I am convinced that our Europe is a Europe for all that draws conclusions from the lessons of the past and from ideals that have not disappeared. Polarization in our society has led to confrontational politics and even political violence. The simple answer is to divide ourselves into ‘us and them,’ but we must move beyond that thought, which fuels hatred rather than fosters hope.”