Roberta Metsola has been re-elected president of the European Parliament, winning 562 votes in the 1st round of voting at the Parliament’s inaugural plenary sitting in Strasbourg.

In the first item on the week’s plenary agenda, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted to keep the centre-right politician Metsola as president for the next 2.5 years.

“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 said, addressing the chamber prior to voting.

Metsola has made a name for herself in European politics, working in Brussels since 2005 at the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU and serving as an MEP since 2013. She took up the role of president of the EU’s legislative body for the 1st time in January 2022, receiving 458 votes in her favour.