Metsola is known to be a friend of Israel and the Jewish people. In November 2022, she joined a delegation of the European Jewish Association to a visit of the Auschwitz-Birekenau extermination camp where she paid tribute to the victims and took part in a commemorative ceremony.
Roberta Metsola has been reelected president of the European Parliament on Tuesday as she won 562 votes out of 720 in the first round of voting at the Parliament’s inaugural plenary session in Strasbourg.
The Maltese MEP from the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest in the parliament, had only one opposition candidate, Irene Montero, a Spanish MEP from the extreme-left Podemos party, who received 61 votes.
First elected as the President of the European Parliament in January 2022, 45-year-old Metsola will remain in the role for 2.5 years as the five-year mandate has been traditionally split in two between the center-right EPP and the center-left Socialists, the two largest groups in the assembly.
“I will never shy away from taking the difficult decisions. My door will always remain open, Members will be treated fairly and with dignity” Metsola told the MEPs before the vote.
Later on Tuesday the MEPs were expected to elect the Parliament’s fourteen vice presidents.
Metsola is known to be a friend of Israel and the Jewish people. In November 2022, she joined a delegation of the European Jewish Association to a visit of the Auschwitz-Birekenau extermination camp where she paid tribute to the victims and took part in a commemorative ceremony.
After her visit, she was honored with the King David Award for her support of the Jewish community in Europe. “This award will serve as a permanent reminder of the heinous crimes committed against humanity in the past and the importance of speaking out to defend our common values today,” said Metsola.
“Anti-Semitism remains a scourge in our societies. Holocaust denial, conspiracy myths, misinformation and all forms of violence that target members of our communities have no place in our Europe,’’ she said, pledging to honor the memory of the victims of the Shoah “by never forgetting, never showing indifference and never remaining silent”.
In October 2023, a few days after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, she led a ceremony in front of the European Parliament in Brusseks in solidarity with the victims of the attacks.
“I know how much this means for people in Israel who have endured the worst terrorist attack in generations. Our voice is important. And our strong stand against terrorism is crucial. October 7th is a day that will go down in global infamy. The world has witnessed Jews being murdered simply because they were Jewish. Again. In Israel,’’ she declared in her speech.
‘’We are here with the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, and all of you – as one – to express our solidarity, to condemn the appalling acts of terror and murder and to demand the immediate release of hostages,’’ she stressed.
One week after the October 7 attacks, Metsola travelled to Israel together with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, in order to express the solidarity of the European Union to the Israeli people. They visited kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the Israeli communities attacked by the Hamas terrorists.
Metsola’s reelection marks the beginning of a crucial week in EU politics. On Thursday, current Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will set out her policy priorities for the beginning of her five-year mandate before MEPs will have to confirm her or not.
Another top EU leader, Estonian Kaja Kallas, who has been nominated by the 27 EU leaders as the next High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, will also need the EU Parliament confirmation at a later stage.