Roberta Metsola reaffirms need to “take a strong stance against terror”

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has warned that the public will “look to” policymakers to deliver on their promises before they vote in next year’s Euro election.

She also said that taking a “strong” stance against terror and “making all efforts to alleviate Gaza’s humanitarian crisis are not mutually exclusive.”

In a  keynote speech, the Maltese MEP said there was still “a sliver of a possibility” peace could break out in the Middle East.

But she insisted: “As a Union, we have a responsibility to remain coherent and united.

“To do this is not to condone more death and violence but to avoid a dangerous regional escalation of the conflict. We must leave even a sliver of possibility that peace can ultimately be found.”

The European Parliament has condemned Hamas in the “strongest possible terms”, noted the deputy, a member of the EPP group, adding, “We know that Hamas must be stopped.”

“As a Parliament we have always and will always keep insisting on respect for international law, that the humanitarian consequences of stopping Hamas must be a priority and that aid must be able to reach the innocent people in need.

“Taking a strong stance against terror and making every effort to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are not mutually exclusive.

“That is why we keep doing everything that we can to protect innocent lives. Why we work to free hostages and get aid across and why the European Parliament has called for a humanitarian pause to achieve that.”

Roberta Metsola reaffirmed need to “take a strong stance against terror.”

“In the longer term, Europe should stand ready and willing to engage. We must continue to push for sustainable and lasting peace.

“For a fair two-state solution that is equitable and just. There is a role for Europe and we have a duty to meet this moment”.

On the still unfolding conflict in Ukraine, Metsola promised, “Our support will continue in humanitarian, logistical, military, re-construction and political terms.

“Provided that the conditions are met, I remain hopeful that agreement to open accession talks between the EU and Ukraine, and with Moldova using the same yardstick, can be achieved by the end of this year.

“Giving our European neighbours a clear European perspective is achieving its intended purpose.

“But while Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans are reforming and getting ready for the next steps – Europe also needs to be getting ready to do the same. This is becoming critical.

“We also need to keep supporting Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction and modernisation”

Turning to another topical topic, migration, she noted that recent events and the increase in arrivals of asylum seekers “have once again demonstrated the consequences of our current fragmented policy on asylum and migration.

“Making returns more effective through faster processing of asylum applications, improving the modalities for returns and closer operational coordination and cooperation among Member States, third countries, EU institutions and agencies should be at the top of our discussions.

“Loopholes between a negative asylum decision and a return decision need to be closed.”

The institution’s president warned, “People will look to us to deliver on all these issues before they vote next June”.

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Roberta Metsola was elected President of the European Parliament in January 2022.

She was first elected to the European Parliament in 2013, becoming one of Malta’s first female Members of the European Parliament. Metsola was re-elected in 2014 and then again in 2019. 
 
In 2020 she was elected as the First Vice-President of the European Parliament, becoming the first Maltese national to hold the post.

She was responsible for the European Parliament’s relations with national parliaments and for the Parliament’s participation in the interreligious and non-confessional dialogue (Article 17 TFEU).