VIDEO. What does the President of the European Parliament do?

Roberta Metsola became the youngest President of the European Parliament on January 18, 2022, the day of her 43rd birthday. The Maltese MEP was elected by her colleagues for a renewable term of two and a half years, i.e. half a legislature. During its legislature, the Parliament’s mission is to vote the budget of the European Union, to control the other institutions of the EU and of course to debate and vote on the laws proposed to it by the European Commission.

The President of Parliament has a fairly honorary role, but several missions are reserved for her. It directs the work and debates of the legislative body of the EU, made up of 705 MEPs elected by direct suffrage in the 27 member countries. The President also represents the Parliament with the institutions and internationally. Finally, it signs the laws passed in Parliament and its signature makes the EU budget enforceable.

Candidate of the EPP, the conservative party, she is opposed to the right to abortion. Her opposition to abortion was heavily criticized and led the midterm agreement to mention “the harmonization from above of all women’s rights in Europe“as a priority of the new presidency.