BRUSSELS (AP) – Roberta Metsola, a Christian Democrat from Malta, was elected president of the European Union’s parliament Tuesday, putting women in three of the four biggest jobs in the 27-nation bloc.
Metsola succeeds Italian Socialist David Sassoli, who died last week. She is only the third woman elected to the post. Her birthday was Tuesday, and at age 43, she is the European Parliament’s youngest president.
Metsola was the candidate of the parliament’s biggest group, and she received 458 of the 616 votes cast Tuesday. She had already been acting president since Sassoli’s Jan. 11 death.
As a member of the EU Parliament, Metsola has been a leader on migration issues. She is very progressive on women’s rights and LGBT issues, but the mother of four boys has taken a conservative stance on abortion, reflecting her country’s national politics.
She said Tuesday that she would staunchly defend the overall pro-abortion rights position of the legislature.
“I am a woman from a small island in the middle of Europe’s southern sea. I know what it means to be the underdog. I know what it means to be pigeonholed,” Metsola said. “I know what this means for every girl watching today. I know what it means for everyone who dares and whoever dared to dream.”
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