Roberta Metsola has, once again, successfully garnered the necessary amount of votes to win a second term as President of the European Parliament, this time to serve the full two-and-a-half-year term, unlike her first term, when she took over the role for the remaining period after David Sassoli's demise.
It will be the first time ever that a President of the European Parliament will be occupying the position for a second consecutive time, historically more so for being a female MEP.
It was in January 2022 that she was elected as the youngest ever president of the European Parliament and the first woman in the role for 20 years. Roberta Metsola was, at the time, one of three women in the top EU jobs, along with the heads of the European Commission and Central Bank.
Billing herself as pro-LGBT rights, despite having a record of being anti-abortion, she successfully managed to represent the European Parliament's view on sexual and reproductive health rather than her own. Once the European Parliament repeatedly called for those rights to be better protected, Metsola consistently maintained that her position was that of the European Parliament.
Metsola had long been part of the Brussels bubble and eventually managed to burst through it. Her previous jobs included acting as a legal adviser to British politician Baroness Ashton, who was, at the time, the EU's top diplomat.
She had already made history by being part of the EU's dream team that put values over power. Two years ago, Metsola had the privilege of living that moment that celebrated the creation of a female-led, feminist Europe. That type of Europe is still with us, and while for some, perhaps, the jury might still be out, we are witnessing a quality of leadership that matters.
It is the quality of leadership that matters.
As Europe enters even more turbulent waters, Metsola is one European leader who can combine power with values and a decent moral compass. Aligning with standards of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, she is one who can only inspire respect, both at home and abroad.
In a world where women leaders are few and far between, Metsola is in a prominent position that affords her the privilege of proving that female power can be value-based and different from the male version.
By doing so, she can help elevate Europe's role and standing, not diminish it.
There is a particular but often ignored background to this remarkable success that Roberta has registered and continues to register.
Her love of debate and commitment to her beliefs have sustained her in both the national and European political arenas and in her own home. To those still holding a single-minded view of women in society, Metsola not only fulfils her role as wife and mother but is also making her mark on the global scene.
What qualities have made her a successful politician? What did it take for her to get elected into such an important and pivotal European institution and stay there for a good number of years?
Diverse life experiences before she became a politician are one important factor. Whoever is savvy about her upbringing in her adolescent days should know that she experienced some failure in her earlier life or issues that resulted in being put down by others.
This resulted in problems that, at the time, were considered unsurmountable to her, yet Roberta developed the skillset required to overcome these obstacles.
The reason these traits are so important is because they eventually turned her into a strategist. She knows herself, she knows problems, she knows how to get out of these problems herself, and she has that experience on a personal level. That means she can extrapolate that with great fluency onto a broader canvas later, i.e., the issues within a country affecting everyone and within the European mainland as a whole. That means that before she had even learned what politics were, she was already a resourceful thinker, and, therefore, her entire knowledge of politics evolved through the filter of being able to provide, produce, define and instigate viable answers.
Most impressive of all, Metsola possesses a high level of energy and has a supportive husband beside her. She is one who wants to continue accomplishing change.
At the same time, she knows how to rein in her enthusiasm and zeal. She practices patience and perseverance and prepares for the long haul because she understands that controversial things don't get easily done in any system, more so on a pan-European basis. She believes that facts matter because they're the starting point for any productive negotiation. And she's very good at managing her time efficiently.
As a seasoned politician and President of the European Parliament, Metsola will continue doing well because of who she is and her innate qualities rather than the support or opportunities she is given. She can boast of a long list of international honours and awards, but she also knows how to check her ego at the door and acts with apparent humility, even when, as is undoubtedly the case, her ego is quite healthy.
She exudes confidence, determination, insightfulness and persuasion. She has also proven herself to be able to work with various people, including those from different political parties.
The more her political adversaries envy her political milestone achievements, the more they unsuccessfully attempt to denigrate and assassinate her character.
Metsola will surely continue to make Malta proud and will continue to write a memorable chapter in contemporary Maltese political history for generations to come.
Dr Mark Said is a lawyer