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The majority of the new European Parliament will continue to side with Ukraine, said Roberta Metsola to PAP, who was re-elected as President of the EP on Tuesday. She emphasized that the issue of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remains at the top of her priority list.
Metsola will hold the position of EP President for two and a half years, and this will be her second term in this role.
On Tuesday, the Maltese was asked by PAP whether the new EP will have a majority of MEPs supporting Ukraine, as was the case in the previous term.
“I was asked during the election campaign – not only when I visited Poland but also in countries across the EU – whether the majority in the EP that supports Ukraine will remain. Today we see that it is. I received a message from the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and colleagues from the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, asking us to continue our cooperation. We must work together,” Metsola replied.
She stressed that the issue of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine remains at the top of her priority list. According to the Maltese, the EU will have to do more on this matter.
Asked by PAP about the need to revise the European Green Deal, Metsola responded that the topic of this EU program was widely commented on during the campaign before the European elections.
“Not only in the context of farmers’ protests, where the message was clear – this is too much, we are going too far, it costs too much – but also among citizens who appealed to us to slow down sometimes,” Metsola said.
She added that the election result must be a response to these signals.
“We are responsible for how we implement the legislation, how much it will cost, whether it is feasible,” Metsola said. She stressed that if legislators fail to address these issues, it will end up with more European citizens turning to extreme political groups in the EU. “It is our responsibility not to disappoint them,” she concluded.
Asked about support in the EP for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, she replied that her election on Tuesday as EP President shows that a majority can be built in this EP term. She added at the same time that talks about the election of the EC President are ongoing. The vote on von der Leyen’s candidacy is to take place on Thursday.
“The European Commission will present political directions on Thursday, after which various political groups will discuss them before making a decision in the vote. (…) Certainly, the EP will insist on reviewing the framework agreement between the EP and the Council. We must also look at the implementation of a huge number of legal regulations, but also at the legislation that has not yet been adopted and inherited from the previous term (institutions – PAP). There is a lot to do, but I am optimistic,” Metsola said. (17.07.2024)