LAST UPDATE | 16 Jul 2024

Muiris O'Cearbhaill reports from Strasbourg

MALTESE MEP ROBERTA Metsola, the newly-elected President of the European Parliament who will serve a second term for the next two and a half years, put housing at the top of the EU’s agenda in her first address to new MEPs.

She won a second term by a large margin against left-wing MEP Irene Montero, receiving 562 votes to Montero’s 61.

MEPs are electing a president for the Parliament, who will act as a chairperson for the first two-and-a-half years of the term, as well as vice presidents. This group determines whether or not the correct procedures are being followed during debates and voting.

Many European leaders were seeking stability in these appointments, as the EU continues attempting to cement itself as a major global power broker.

In her speech after winning the vote, in the first ballot, Metsola told MEPs she wanted to tackle housing affordability across member states and said that far too many young people were priced off the property ladder and rental market.

While not eluding to how the Parliament might tackle this, Metsola highlighted that the MEPs needed to work towards delivering affordability to the European housing market. “Our young people cannot buy a home,” she said.

She told the politicians before the vote that she wanted to continue to lead the Parliament as it continues to face many of the issues she was at the coalface of during her last term, such as the war in Ukraine and the cost of living.

“We need to strengthen and streamline to ensure this parliament can be the legislation and political powerhouse it can be,” she told MEPs.

She added that she wanted to continue to lead the European institutions which holds people and other institutions to account. “We cannot accept that our role as parliamentarians is diluted. Parliamentarism must be strengthened,” she said.

Metsola, who was likely to be reappointed, is highly regarded by MEPs, commissioners, European leaders and much of the Maltese electorate. In June, the politician’s party secured an additional seat despite opinion polls suggesting its support would fall. 

After her election, Metsola told MEPs about her vision of Europe. In a wide-ranging speech she touched on issues relating to housing, Ukraine, the reunification of Cyprus, security and defence policy and cutting down bureaucracy in Brussels and the EU.

“It’s our responsibility to will make Europe a better place,” Metsola said. “And we will.”

The politician, who came into the parliament’s Presidency in the aftermath of a major corruption scandal, has built a reputation for herself of upholding the rule of law, even when allies are on the other side.

Asked at a press conference about the strength of her support, she said it sent a “strong message”. “It’s a strong, pro-European majority who supported me,” she said.

Asked if the Parliament could keep up its momentum in the coming months and years, Metsola said: “Five years ago, we didn’t have a Migration and Asylum Pact, we didn’t have a Digital Markets Union, we didn’t have a Digital Safety Act. But, now we do.

“I think that’s a testament to how much this parliament delivers and how much this parliament works. Is the work finished? Absolutely not.”

She added: “We need more on housing, we need more on equality, we need more legislation that isn’t expensive or driving people out of Europe. That is the message we’ve received.”