The President of the European Parliament and Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola received the Grand Decoration of Honour from the Republic of Austria. The award was presented by the President of the National Council of Austria Wolfgang Sobotka at Austria's Parliament on Monday.
The Federal President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, granted one the highest national awards of the Republic of Austria, previously bestowed on prominent figures such as former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, former German Chancellors Angela Merkel, Willy Brandt and Konrad Adenauer, and former Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan.
In his speech, National Council President Sobotka praised in particular Roberta Metsola's dedication to deepening cooperation between the European Parliament and national parliaments, improving the visibility of smaller member states, as well as promoting their interests, and fostering greater citizen engagement, a statement by Metsola's office read.
President Sobotka described President Metsola as "a woman who has achieved remarkable success at a national, European and global level, particularly as President of the European Parliament. (She) promotes European integration and policies with her outstanding competence and engaging personality."
"Your tireless dedication, ability to build bridges and your profound humanity, make you an outstanding politician. Europe needs individuals like you who fight for the future of our continent with passion and reason. On behalf of the Republic of Austria I would like to express my sincerest gratitude and admiration," said President Sobotka.
Upon receiving the award, President Metsola said, "it is both a privilege and a responsibility to receive this beautiful award for strengthening European democracy and putting Europe at the service of Austria."
President Metsola stated, "we must work together, embodying Europe's values of unity, cooperation and compromise to make people a little bit safer, fairer and more prosperous."
During her visit to Austria, President Metsola met with the Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, offering Europe's solidarity and support to those affected by recent devastating floods. During a joint press conference, President Metsola thanked the volunteers and helpers who selflessly risked their lives to help others.
In Vienna, President Metsola visited the Permanent Mission of Malta to the OSCE and UN Agencies based in the Austrian capital. She thanked everyone at the mission for their efforts in representing the Maltese people in Vienna, both in their work with UN bodies and in supporting Malta's Chairpersonship of the OSCE.