Roberta Metsola has been re-elected European Parliament President with the highest number of votes ever acquired by a predecessor.

She won 562 votes in the first round, while her competitor, Spanish MEP Irene Montero (Left), won 61. In a press conference following the vote, Metsola promoted a “politics of hope” seeking a “strong parliament in a strong Europe”.

After being re-elected, Metsola thanked Europe and her colleagues for their trust and promised to continue working for Europe.

She said her election built on a strong message from Maltese voters in the last European Parliament elections, which saw Metsola re-elected with the highest number of first-preference votes.

Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT) and Irene Montero (The Left, ES) ran for president. Before the vote, both delivered brief statements to the plenary.

Metsola stressed her dedication to Europe: “For me, Europe is worth advocating for. It has never been flawless, but we viewed the European Parliament… as a representation of standards and an opportunity for reconciliation. It was our assurance of the rule of law, of equality, of democracy, of liberty, of prosperity. The opportunity it provided allowed us to envision a future without limitations on our potential. That is the significance of Europe for me and countless others still.”

Her competitor, Montero, born in Madrid, Spain, previously served as Equality Minister in the Socialist Government of Spain from January 2020 to November 2023 and is affiliated with the leftist Podemos Party. Despite her last-minute decision to run, commentators on X-Twitter indicated that her candidacy was mostly symbolic, and it was anticipated that Metsola would gather enough votes to remain president.

Metsola has been president since January 2022, having obtained an absolute majority of votes in the first round of her previous election.

Following the presidential election, the Parliament will appoint 14 vice-presidents in the afternoon and five Quaestors on Wednesday. These positions are critical for the management and legislative proceedings of the European Parliament.

In its tenth term, the European Parliament will consist of 720 seats, 15 more than in the previous term.

The new intake of MEPs comprises 54% newly-elected members (compared to 61% in 2019) and 39% women (compared to 40% in 2019). At just 23 years old, Lena Schilling (Greens/EFA) from Austria is the youngest MEP, while the oldest is 77-year-old Leoluca Orlando (Greens/EFA) from Italy. The average age of MEPs is 50.

There are eight political groups in the new term, one more than in the previous legislature, and 33 MEPs remain unattached.

Metsola said: “My dedication to our project has not waned. I aim to contribute to its improvement. I strive to narrow the remaining disparities between the public’s expectations of Europe and our capabilities… This parliament must be robust in a powerful union.”