Roberta Metsola re‑elected as European Parliament president

The European Parliament in Strasbourg has re-elected Roberta Metsola as its president. The Maltese politician competed against the Spanish candidate, Irene Montero, from the Left.

Roberta Metsola was re-elected President of the European Parliament, securing 562 votes. During the session, the voting occurred in Strasbourg, inaugurating the EP's work.

699 members of the European Parliament participated in the voting. The current president's opponent, Spaniard Irene Montero from the Left, received 62 votes. Members of the European Parliament cast 76 invalid votes.

Metsola is a member of the European People's Party (EPP). Before Tuesday's vote, she stated that Europe has always been worth fighting for. "My passion for this project has not diminished. I want to improve it. I will work tirelessly to bring people closer together," she said. She added that the challenges facing the EU will require strong leadership.

"My door will always remain open; members will be treated fairly. I am proud to stand here today. I promise not to let you down," Metsola said in a brief speech before the vote. In her speech, she also spoke about the need to resolve conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The current president's opponent, Irene Montero from Spain, part of the Podemos group, was nominated at the last moment by the Left. From the beginning, she was not given a chance of winning.

Typically, the term of the president of the European Parliament lasts two and a half years. So far, only the German Martin Schulz has been elected twice as the president of the EP.