The EU Parliament is meeting today, Tuesday, for its first session following the European elections.
Numerous top positions will be filled, starting with the election of the President. The result is expected by midday, with Roberta Metsola’s re-election being highly anticipated.
This development was published by the news outlet Kurier.
Roberta Metsola’s Expected Re-election
Roberta Metsola, a politician from Malta and a member of the European People's Party, is favored for re-election. Metsola is well-regarded among EU parliamentarians.
Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission President, is also up for re-election on Thursday.
"It is difficult to put into words what it means for a woman born on an island in the Mediterranean to be standing here today," said Metsola in her pre-election speech. "My passion for this project has not diminished."
She emphasized her role as a bridge builder and expressed her desire to strengthen the parliament into a "political powerhouse."
An Unexpected Challenger
At the last minute, Spanish left-wing MP Irene Montero also applied for the position.
Montero, who served as Spain’s Minister for Equality from 2020 to 2023, advocates for a "Europe of peace," as well as a "green, feminist, anti-fascist Europe."
Montero’s candidacy provided an alternative for those seeking different representation.
Manon Aubry, leader of the European Left, expressed support for an open election process and noted that some social democratic and green representatives welcomed Montero’s candidacy as an alternative to Metsola.
New Faces in Parliament
According to the EU Parliament, 54 percent of the members are new.
Women now make up 39 percent of the members.
The youngest member is Green MEP Lena Schilling, born in 2001, and the oldest is Italian Green Leoluca Orlando, born in 1947.
Austria now has one more representative in Strasbourg and Brussels. The European elections brought changes: the FPÖ has the most domestic representatives with six, followed by the ÖVP and the SPÖ with five each. The Greens and Neos are represented by two members each.
