site.btaEP President Metsola after Re-election: Europe Must Become Accessible to All

"Ours must become a Europe that is accessible to all, that everyone feels not only part of, but takes ownership of," Roberta Metsola said in her first news conference after being re-elected as the European Parliament (EP) President on Tuesday. Addressing the MEPs at the opening of the 10th EP, she spoke of a gap between people's expectations and what the MEPs can do.

Taking a question from BTA about how this gap can be filled, Metsola remembered the beginning of the previous mandate five years ago and people's skepticism. 

"Five years ago, at the beginning of the mandate we wondered whether we would have a migration and asylum pact, a digital services act, a digital market act, an artificial intelligence act, violence against women legislation and a vast draft of climate legislation that was adopted. I think that was the biggest testament to the fact that this parliament delivers and acts when it is asked to," she said. "Is the work done? Absolutely not. Would we have wished to go further in many aspects? Yes!" she added. 

She said that people in the EU "needs more on housing, need more on equality, amd less in the implementation of legislation that is unaffordable and unfeasible, and driving people out of Europe". Those are the messages the MEPs receive and they need to take heed and act now, she said. "The time is now. The trust is given to us now and I think we must repay the trust we are given."  

In her speech after the re-election, Roberta Metsola also stressed the responsibility of the EU leaders "to leave Europe a better place than the one we found". "And we will leave Europe a better place by creating a new security and defence framework that keeps people safe and pushes back against the expansionist dreams of dictators in our neighbourhood. That defeats the hybrid threats we are still facing. That protects Europe. That defends our strategic autonomy. That keeps the peace. That understands the threat we face is very real."

Roberta Mezzola also spoke about a need to double down on Europe's competitiveness, to use her own words. That can be achieved by deepening the single market, ensuring quality jobs, concluding global trade deals, completing our banking and capital markets union, and having implementable targets for industry. "That keeps Europe’s businesses in Europe and gives us the ability to invest in our youth, in research, in education, in culture, in our communities and in the rest of the world. By simplification. By cutting back on red-tape and unnecessary bureaucracy that pushes people and jobs away from Europe." 

She spoke of a need for real solutions on climate, the strengthening of the social pillar, the implementation of appropriate legislation on migration and asylum, Europe's ability to seize the opportunities of the digital age.

"We have learnt that we can never take democracy for granted," she said. She made sure to mention the war in Ukraine. "The Russian war of aggression against sovereign Ukraine remains at the top of our agenda," she said.

According to the provisional agenda, the new European Parliament is expected to express strong support for Ukraine. On Wednesday morning, the leaders of the political groups will make statements on the need for the EU to continue to support Ukraine, and a special resolution will be voted on in the late afternoon.