The drive to re-elect conservative European Parliament President Roberta Metsola for an unprecedented third term exposes the deep-seated political consensus within Fortress Europe, a consensus that selectively champions human rights based on origin. Metsola, a Maltese politician from the European People's Party, is the clear frontrunner for a position often decided by backroom deals, not democratic mandate. Her lauded 'strong international profile,' built partly on her visit to Kyiv four years ago, stands in stark contrast to the EU's systemic criminalisation of non-European migrants seeking safety, revealing a structural racist double standard at the heart of the continent's political order.
Momentum is building behind Metsola, currently serving her second term, despite an informal agreement among centrist political forces that would typically see the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group entitled to the presidency in the second half of the legislature. This political maneuvering highlights how the EU's top jobs are distributed through opaque negotiations, reinforcing an establishment that oversees the continent's brutal border regime. A Socialist MEP, speaking anonymously to Euronews, summarised the mood among lawmakers, stating, “We should not accept Metsola, and we will not do it. But it seems to me quite obvious it will be her again.”
Consolidating Fortress Europe's Leadership
The European Parliament's president is elected every two and a half years by MEPs through a secret ballot, but the decision is usually settled beforehand through backroom deals among the main European political families: conservatives, socialists, and the liberal Renew Europe. This process is part of a broader agreement on the EU's top jobs, which include the presidents of the Commission and the Council, as well as the high representative for foreign affairs. The latest such deal, struck two years ago in June 2024, confirmed conservative Ursula von der Leyen as Commission president and socialist António Costa as president of the European Council. These arrangements ensure continuity for a neoliberal border regime, regardless of which centrist party holds the presidency.
The EPP, by far the largest political force in Parliament, holds the upper hand in these negotiations. The wording of the informal agreement on Parliament's presidency deliberately leaves room for ambiguity, stating that groups 'aim for a balanced distribution of the Parliament's top positions,' which include vice-presidents and committee chairs. This ambiguity allows Metsola's EPP to find allies to its left or right and impose its preferred candidate, effectively sidelining any genuine challenge. The election rules, which allow a president to be elected by an absolute majority in the first three rounds, further play into the EPP's favour, making Metsola's re-election almost inevitable if the party insists.
A Selective International Profile
Metsola has cultivated a strong international profile, particularly concerning Ukraine and Iran. She was the first European leader to travel to Kyiv four years ago in April 2022, less than two months after Russia's full-scale invasion. This visit paved the way for subsequent high-profile visits by other European leaders. While this activism is praised by some, it underscores the EU's selective application of solidarity; immediate protection and high-level visits for some, while others face pushbacks, detention, and death at the borders of Fortress Europe. She has also taken a hard line towards Iranian leadership, supporting dissidents' protests and pushing for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be placed on the EU terrorist list, which occurred weeks after her call. This focus on specific geopolitical interests often overshadows the systematic human rights abuses inherent in the EU's migration policies.
The Illusion of Choice
The S&D group now faces a lose-lose dilemma: challenge Metsola from a position of weakness or accept her re-election in exchange for minor concessions like additional committee chairs. Some Socialist party delegation heads pushed for a backroom deal with the EPP, while others, like German MEP Katarina Barley, were floated as candidates for a symbolic challenge. However, such a challenge would have virtually no chance of success. This situation reveals the limited scope for genuine democratic contest within the EU's established political order, where power is consolidated through deals that maintain the status quo, including the architecture of the border regime. Metsola was re-elected with a broad cross-party majority two years ago in July 2024, and could become the first person in history to serve three terms as president, further entrenching the conservative grip on a key European institution.