At only 43 years old, Roberta Metsola became the first Maltese to become President of the European Parliament. On Friday, she met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in kyiv. Portrait
For the first time in more than 20 years, a woman is at the head of the European Parliament. To succeed the Italian David Sassoli, tragically deceased at the beginning of the year, Roberta Metsola, who was the favorite to take over the presidency and is supported by the liberals including the French MEPs LREM, had not moved alone in Strasbourg on 18 January.
In the presence of her parents and her Finnish husband Ukko, the new president recalled the importance of the family in her eyes. Married for 16 years, Roberta Metsola is the pride of her husband. “It’s almost unheard of, an extraordinary achievement of which we are all very proud. This is a testament to her perseverance and resilience because as we know from her political background, she ran 2 times before being elected.
She has been there for a long time and that illustrates the respect she commands beyond political party lines,” explained Ukko Metsola. After running alongside Roberta Metsola for her country in the 2014 European elections, her electoral defeat led her to turn to the private sector. Ukko Metsola was vice president of government relations for the Royal Caribbean group in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Today managing director of CLIA (International Association of Cruise Lines), he follows his wife closely, accompanied by his 4 sons: Luca, Alec, Marc and Kristian who are between 15 and 4 years old. “The older boys understand what’s going on, but the younger ones understand the idea that their mother is in a race and wants to win. And she won” he congratulated himself then.
Roberta and Ukko, for the love of politics
It’s hard to find a more political couple than the Metsolas. A Finn and a Maltese who spent a large part of their early relationship in the European Parliament and in Brussels. Roberta Metsola met her husband at home in Malta during a political event between university associations. This student from the University of Helsinki and then Harvard had a profile just as political as his future wife. She was an activist of Studenti Demokristjani Maltin at the University of Malta, he was president of the student association European Democrat. When they moved to Brussels in 2005 just after their marriage, she was a justice and home affairs expert at the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU while he worked in the Finnish Parliament for the office of the Finnish Prime Minister of the EU. ‘era. “We met in politics and grew up in politics. Running together in different countries is an experience that has introduced a certain humor and benevolent rivalry” she explained in 2009 for the Times of Malta. After his first attempt in 2004, they tried together to enter the European Parliament in 2009. Without success. He goes to the private sector and she persists in making a name for herself in Strasbourg. A perseverance that will pay off 13 years later.
A political consecration under the eyes of his parents
The parents of Roberta Metsola were at the side of Ukko to follow the election of the child prodigy. Very stressed before the election, they had described the experience as “difficult”. But with 74% of votes collected in the first round, the parents of the new president could only be proud. “It all started at the University of Malta and it never looked back by climbing the political ladder. We supported Roberta for this reason and always encouraged her,” they said. They added that this success is all the more beautiful because they do not come from the political milieu.
Elected on her 43rd birthday, the family regrets only being able to wish her birthday over the phone. But Ukko Metsola prefers to evoke the “excitement” and “anxiety” they felt from the spectator stand at the time of the vote. “Let’s not forget that until now, the presidents of the European Parliament have come from one of the 6 founding states or from other large states… This is undermining the power structure,” he said. A presence that recalls the declaration of the new president 13 years ago who said that “the family comes first”.
The site of the great European project for Roberta Metsola was now in front of her. A consecration for this convinced European who has made a reputation as a “hard worker” according to her colleagues. And then came the war in Ukraine. Courageous, she traveled to kyiv on Friday to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in person.
“Today is heroism to come to Ukraine”
The latter expressed his “gratitude” to Roberta Metsola, the Maltese President of the European Parliament, for having come “heroically” and “personally” to kyiv, welcoming him to the Ukrainian capital where he has been entrenched since the end of February.
“I want to personally thank you Roberta, you and your team, at such an important moment for our country (…) today when Ukrainians believe in deeds and concrete measures, to show heroism – because it t is heroism today to come to Ukraine,” said Mr. Zelensky, still in a khaki T-shirt as he welcomed the European delegation, according to a video posted by the Ukrainian presidency.
Read also: First evacuations in Mariupol, Russians irradiated in Chernobyl… update on the war in Ukraine
He thanked Ms Metsola for the European Parliament’s support for Ukraine. “We greatly appreciate all these steps. And as we now see everything through the prism of friend/no friend, (…) that the gray zone no longer exists for us in diplomacy (…) we are happy that you are on the side of the light and the good about Ukraine,” he added.
“You came and it’s a very important sign. We are grateful to you and we will not forget it,” said the Ukrainian president.