Roberta Metsola wants to be a reformative president, she told The Malta Independent in a brief interview following her election to the post of President of the European Parliament.

Metsola became the first Maltese to be elected to such a post on Tuesday.

She explained that her immediate task will be to convene meetings in order to try and resolve issues pertaining to reforms and changes which are currently making their way through the EU Parliament. As an example, she said that she believes that the institution can push for change and reforms while being ambitious in its climate change goals.

Metsola was asked whether she ever thought that someone coming from such a small EU country could reach that position.

"I believe that it is testament to the hard working Maltese people and the vision that our nation's leaders had in the past, to join the European Union. The question of being a small nation was never something that hindered us."

"We should be proud as a nation that our country's name is now shown on a map larger than it was in the past."

In her maiden speech, she mentioned a number of challenges such as climate change. She was asked whether the EU has been moving too slowly on such issues and how she thinks she can bring about change.

"I want to be a reformative president. I will, this week, start convening meetings and pushing through agreements where they can be pushed and try to resolve obstacles which emerge. I will facilitate discussions. I am confident that we can be the institution that pushes for change, reform, with courageous and ambitious goals. We also have a French Presidency of the EU Council which also has courageous and ambitious goals and I will spend the first months of my Presidency working on this," she said.

The migration issue has been around for years and there has been a lack of solidarity between certain states. Asked whether she thinks she could have an effect on this, Metsola said: "My position has always been that of the Parliament, in the sense that there is a majority in this House who want to push through the new Migration Pact. It will be difficult. There is also a new replacement of the Dublin proposal on the table and is being discussed in Committee. So I am not worried about the Parliament per se. What I would like to see is the Council break past the previous obstacles of using veto rights or lack of unanimity in an area where there should not be such a situation, in order for there to be real change and improvement."

"We still have a long way to go but as I said in my press conference, in 2024 people are going to ask us how we have delivered and this will be their number one question."

Asked whether she is in favour of an EU with more powers or less powers, she said: "We need to be big on the big issues and small on the small issues. If the European Union has a competence to act it should. If Member States can do something better at their level then they should do it better at their level. But on the other hand, when there are issues pertaining to the rule of law, fundamental rights, civil liberties, overarching values and principles, then the EU needs to be a beacon of hope and here there needs to be more Europe."

"I would of course look at legislation, see where things have been blocked for a long time, see where things could be improved. We will take stock of all of that in the reform process which we will continue on from former President Sassoli," Metsola added.