Trouble brewing in the European Parliament over Metsola’s aspiration for a third term

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is reportedly ruffling feathers in Brussels, particularly among the leadership of the Socialists, the legislature’s second-largest political group.

Under a traditional power-sharing arrangement, Metsola is expected to hand over the presidency to a Socialist MEP by the end of next year. However, multiple sources suggest she intends to remain in office for the full five-year term of the current legislature – a move that would see her serving an unprecedented third term at the helm of the European Parliament.

As she did during her rise within the Nationalist Party (PN), Malta’s current most popular MEP is keeping her intentions close to her chest. Still, it is an open secret in EU circles that Metsola is positioning herself to retain the post beyond the agreed rotation.

Consistent with her career’s meteoric rise – described as a blend of hard work, persistence, and strategic timing – it would not be surprising if Metsola’s manoeuvring pays off.

Parliamentary sources told The Shift that while it is clear Metsola is preparing for a third term, the Socialists are in a weakened position and may struggle to enforce the power-sharing deal.

“It is true there is an agreement requiring Metsola to make way for the Socialists by the end of next year. However, she has sensed an opportunity to exploit the group’s diminished influence to her own advantage,” one senior source said.

Although still the second-largest group in the Parliament, the Socialists’ influence has waned, with only three Socialist prime ministers currently sitting in the European Council, including Malta’s.

This imbalance leaves the European People’s Party (EPP), Metsola’s political family, with considerably greater leverage across EU institutions.

Following the 2024 European elections, former Portuguese prime minister António Costa, a Socialist, became President of the European Council as part of a broader power-sharing agreement that also confirmed Ursula von der Leyen, from the EPP, as President of the Commission and Metsola as Parliament President for half of the mandate.

Now, according to sources, the EPP’s strategy is to keep Metsola in her post as a compromise to allow Costa to retain his. The Socialists, however, are said to have detected Metsola’s intentions and made their opposition clear.

Last week, former Swedish prime minister and President of the Party of European Socialists (PES) Stefan Löfven warned that any attempt by the EPP to renege on the deal would provoke a backlash.

Speaking at a Socialist congress in Amsterdam, Löfven stated that his group “will not accept Metsola for a third term.”

“We have a deal reached after the 2024 elections, and that deal remains valid,” he said. “If the EPP wants a constructive working relationship in Brussels, it must honour the agreement.”

Nevertheless, according to Politico, many Socialist MEPs privately acknowledge that Metsola is unlikely to be replaced in 2027 as initially envisaged.

Recently, Metsola, who is often described as a unifying figure within the Parliament, has been observed reaching out more frequently to other political groups, including the far right.

Observers interpret this as part of a longer-term strategy to broaden her support base across party lines, positioning herself to counter a Socialist challenge for the presidency in 2027.

EPP Group leader Manfred Weber is also reportedly backing Metsola’s ambitions, a move many see as an effort to secure his own position.

Parliament insiders say that if Metsola’s bid for a third term fails, she is likely to set her sights on Weber’s job as head of the EPP Group – a role she is widely considered capable of winning should the situation come to a head.