European Parliament President Roberta Metsola hinted Wednesday she will remain in her current post as pressure mounts for her to take the reins of the Nationalist Party. 

"I have a responsibility here," Metsola told POLITICO when asked whether she would leave Brussels for the domestic job.

The resignation of Bernard Grech on Tuesday has opened up the possibility that Metsola, who has never served as an MP in the Maltese Parliament, to take on the reins of the PN.

Metsola is seen as a unifying factor in a party that has been riddled with internal turmoil and lack of credibility as it lost successive elections, with latest survey also showing it far behind the incumbent Labour Party.

"We understand that there are voices asking for Roberta Metsola to fill the leadership role in Malta, that is of course up to her and her Party, but I know how committed she is as President of the European Parliament and understand that for a country like Malta having their nation in this leadership position is critical and it is critical for Europe," Manfred Weber, president of the EPP, told POLITICO. 

"So, on a personal level, we are very proud of everything that she has achieved, but there is much yet to do with her as President in these critical times  as we build Europe into a stronger and more prosperous Union," he added. 

Metsola has served as the president of the European Parliament since 2022, and was reelected in 2024 with the widest cross-party majority in history. 

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