how is the EP president doing?
The first 100 days of Roberta Metsola’s term as President of the European Parliament have shown her to be a determined and capable leader in uncertain times, EU observers have spoken to Times of Malta they said.
After becoming the youngest, first Maltese and only third woman to be elected to the top parliamentary seat in January, Metsola’s leadership was largely dominated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine is also navigating the EU’s transition from the COVID-19 pandemic. .
Former EP President Antonio Tajani said Metsola’s leadership had brought unprecedented “centrality” to the house.
“Its sensitivity and institutional vision combined with its deep belief in freedom, democracy, human dignity and awareness of the daily challenges of ordinary people are the perfect ingredients,” he said. .
“Thanks to her, the European Parliament reacted firmly and immediately against Russian aggression against Ukraine.
As the first European leader to visit Volodymyr Zelensky, he showed the world that Europe is united and ready to defend freedom without hesitation.
Looking ahead, Tajani believes that Metsola will play a key role in shaping the necessary change in the European institutions.
“We have a lot of challenges ahead of us,” he continued.
“I personally believe that there is an urgent need for institutional reform to make decision-making processes more democratic and transparent and to make the EU and its institutions more accountable, as well as to improve efficiency and effectiveness. its. I believe that the Metsola presidency will play a key role in restoring the confidence of the people of Europe from Finland to Cyprus. “
Professor Mark Harwood, director of the Institute for European Studies, said that the election of Metsola was already significant, as women leaders are not frequent in the European Parliament, but also represent a compromise that can work between member states and party groups.
“The EP president needs broad support to be elected. This usually means a large caucus of MEPs supporting you. For this reason, EP presidents have always been from large states, “he said.
“When Pat Cox was elected 20 years ago, he was considered strange because he was from Ireland (a small state) and not from the main political parties. Apart from Cox, the election of Metsola is the first time that a MEP has been elected by a small state.
“This could open the door for other candidates from small states in the future, as well as indicate that the EU is becoming more representative and that key positions do not, automatically, have to go only to candidates from large states.”
It has shown the world that Europe is united and ready to defend freedom
Harwood points to her concentrated visit to Kiev in early April as one of her most significant.
“The visit to Kiev was timely, the first by a major player, it was very bold, and it gained media coverage across Europe,” he said.
“I also thought the tone was good. She was clear in her support for Ukraine but also sympathetic without being too servile to Zelensky. While we sympathize with him and his country, certain demands, such as automatic membership of the EU, are unreasonable and cannot go unchallenged. “
He added that Metsola’s next challenge is likely to manifest itself when the Czech Republic takes over the presidency of the Council of Europe in July.
“Their government is a soft Eurosceptic party and while a few bumps can be expected, it will be interesting to see how it has an impact on EP-Council relations.”
Prof. Roderick Pace, President of the European Movement Malta, felt that Metsola’s presidency “shook” the image of the office with strong values and sensitivity to the reality of the citizens. In addition, she felt that her work shed a positive light on Malta’s reputation.
“In recent years, Maltese politicians have deceived us in many ways. Looking at it from a narrower angle, it is encouraging to be able to show the good side of Malta and that a small country can also take the lead and help the EU ride the waves, ”he said.
“Looking ahead, the EU faces a number of situations that will upset President Metsola as the directly elected leader of the European Parliament. She knows that the war in Ukraine is not over, and we can’t think of a post-Ukraine Europe until it stops. “
The Europe of the Future Conference concludes in May and the EU will have to take decisions on the next steps forward. EU security is the biggest problem it faces and the European Parliament must encourage leaders to be courageous and decisive. “Unless the EU unites, it will be dominated by foreigners and only unity will allow us to safeguard our identities in the long run, as the various Swiss cantons have managed to do for hundreds of years.”
The post-COVID-19 recovery, the repercussions of the war in Ukraine, the need to cut off Russia’s energy supply as well as the ambitions of climate change are likely to be the best challenges to come, Pace continued.
“President Metsola’s leadership in the European Parliament in the coming months is crucial in all of this, its most difficult examination paper.”
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