Roberta Metsola becomes first Maltese EP vice-president

Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola was yesterday elected as the first Maltese vice-president of the European Parliament.

The role is the second-highest in the European Parliament, and it is the most senior role ever occupied by a Maltese. There are 14 vice-presidents in the European Parliament.

Metsola was nominated by the European People’s Party, which she forms part of, and was elected to the post unanimously across all political groups.

Metsola is filling the vacancy left by Mairead McGuiness, who recently became European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union.

Until the deadline on Monday, Metsola was the only MEP to have been nominated for the post. As a result, she was declared elected by the President on Thursday. After her election Ms Metsola said, “It is a tremendous honour to have been elected First VicePresident. I will continue to be a strong voice for European citizens and for Malta and continue to work to build bridges across the political divide.”

“With the economic and health recovery from the COVID pandemic, terror threats, the Brexit negotiations, a new US President, the situation in Belarus, continued migration challenges, and a new rule of law framework all high on the agenda, I, together with President Sassoli and the other Vice-Presidents, will continue to play my part in ensuring that the European Parliament remains a strong link between citizens and the European decision-making process.”

In a tweet after the news, Metsola thanked everyone for their support and said that she will “work hard to continue to build bridges between citizens and the European decision-making process.”

“I will not let you down,” she said.

Metsola was first elected to the European Parliament in 2013.

She was re-elected in 2014 and 2019. She was previously a lawyer by profession, specialising in European law and politics.

Between 2004 and 2012, Metsola worked in the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU. She subsequently joined the team of the then High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, as a legal advisor.

Within the European Parliament, Metsola is the EPP’s Group Coordinator in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and heads her national party’s delegation within the EPP group. She is also the Co-Chair of the EP Anti-Corruption Intergroup.

Born in 1979, Ms Metsola is married and is the mother of four boys. She graduated from the University of Malta and the College of Europe in Bruges.