Roberta Metsola on abortion: 'My position is the European Parliament's position'
Roberta Metsola, the newly elected President of the European Parliament, has vowed to respect the hemicycle's majority opinion in favour of abortion, despite her long-standing political and personal stance against the procedure.
"The position of the parliament is unambiguous and unequivocal, and that is also my position," she told Euronews in an attempt to shut down the controversy surrounding her investiture.
"That is exactly what I will do throughout my mandate as president on this issue."
As a conservative lawmaker from Malta, a country where abortion remains illegal in all cases, Metsola consistently votes against parliamentary resolutions that defend the right to abortion. Her position stands in stark contrast with the majority inside the hemicycle, which advocates pro-choice viewpoints. Last year, the Parliament passed a resolution declaring safe access to abortion as as human right with 378 in favour and 255 against.
The issue became highly contentious in the days leading up the president's election, with several MEPs publicly denouncing Metsola for her past voting record. The press conference that followed her election on Tuesday morning quickly became dominated by abortion. To dispel further doubts, the president promised to stop voting altogether – in all sorts of political matters – and to always follow the position taken by the hemicycle.
Speaking to Euronews about the priorities for her 2.5-year tenure, Metsola highlighted the defence of rule of law and fundamental rights as a question of urgency. Some EU countries, like Poland and Hungary, are under intense scrutiny over legal reforms that have exacerbated democratic backsliding and could be soon see their EU funds frozen under a still-unused conditionality
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