WATCH: Roberta Metsola’s First Address As Youngest Ever European Parliament President – ‘I Stand On The Shoulders Of Giants’
Roberta Metsola has given her first official address as European Parliament President, using her moment to outline her vision for the parliament and EU bloc as a whole.
Let me be clear to those who seek to destroy the EU, know that this house stands against you. Those who look to deteriorate democracy, free speech, fundamental rights, who see women as a target, and deny rights to LGBTI+ persons, will find us standing in their way. They will not weaken solidarity among us, dictators will never divide us,” she said.
Metsola, who won the vote after the first ballot with a majority of 458 votes, is the youngest ever EP President, made sure the reference the two other women who had previously held the position. She is the third woman to hold the post in sixty years but told Parliament that the wait for another female leader will not be long.
“I stand on the shoulders of giants. The shoulders of Ashling, Paulina and all the other women whose lives have already been stolen this year. The shoulders of Europe’s displaced and the disappeared; on all those who fought and suffered under totalitarianism and sacrificed everything for Europe,” she said.
She stressed the importance of the role of the European Parliament in heralding those who need it most, whether that’s marginalised communities, the oppressed, people fighting for their rights or victims of natural disasters.
But she said that the EP looks to help communities at large, from agriculture, businesses, and NGOs.
“People look to us to defend our values… we must burst through the Strasbourg and Brussels bubbles to bring its ideas to different towns and villages across Europe,” she said.
Metsola focused on key priorities for her tenure, specifically putting an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, but more importantly, she highlighted the importance of the European Green Deal.
“Europe must take the lead and reinvent itself to ensure sustainability and prosperity. You cannot separate the environment and the economy. We must deal with this issue now because tomorrow will be too late,” she said.
She also urged a digital transformation in Europe, which would help the bloc effectively deal with the wide variety of scenarios the EP faces on a daily basis.
Metsola also made reference to the issues in Cyprus, which has been split ever since Turkish occupation on the north side on the island began in 1974.
“The EU cannot be whole while Cyprus remains split,” he said.
She also made special reference to the families of assassinated journalists Daphne Caruana Galizia and Jan Kuciak, pledging that the EU backs their fight for truth and justice.
Metsola will be giving her first official press conference at 12pm. You can follow live below:
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