Roberta Metsola may soon find out whether good things truly come in threes.

According to several sources who spoke to Euractiv, the European Parliament president and her centre-right allies in the European People's Party (EPP) see an opportunity to capitalize on the centre-left's current weakness and push for an unprecedented third term for Metsola.

Traditionally, a gentleman's agreement between the EPP and the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) has dictated that the two blocs share the presidency of the European Parliament - each taking a 2.5-year term. Under this arrangement, the socialists would normally claim the next presidency in early 2027.

But with socialist parties losing ground across Europe, the EPP is reportedly considering breaking with precedent and keeping Metsola in office. To ease tensions, the EPP could allow António Costa, the socialist president of the European Council, to serve a full five-year mandate, according to individuals familiar with the discussions.

At the heart of this manoeuvre is EPP leader Manfred Weber, widely viewed as one of Brussels' most strategic political operators, Euractiv reports. Sources say Weber is pushing hard for Metsola's re-election to safeguard his own position as head of the EPP Group in Parliament.

"If Metsola leaves the Parliament, where would she go?" one insider remarked. "The only logical step would be leading the EPP Group - and Weber has no intention of relinquishing that post."

Metsola had been indicated as a possible successor to Bernard Grech at the helm of the Nationalist Party. But she had turned down the pressure to take on the job, saying she wanted to complete her term at the EP.

Weber, a German politician who has chaired the EPP parliamentary group for over a decade and taken over the EPP presidency in 2022, continues to wield immense influence over Europe's dominant political family.

Metsola is said to be in "full campaign mode," according to an EU official, it reports. "All signs point to it," one S&D lawmaker said according to the report.

Metsola remains widely liked across party lines, including within the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and even some far-right circles. She has presented herself as a unifying figure and significantly elevated the Parliament's role on the world stage, especially through her vocal support for Ukraine.

However, observers note a subtle shift to the right in her recent actions, Euractiv reports. Metsola recently included a tribute to the slain U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk alongside other commemorations-an act interpreted by some as outreach to far-right members. She also allowed a debate proposed by far-right Patriots on "the dangers migrants pose to women and children," which critics saw as legitimizing extremist rhetoric.

A third Metsola term could spark serious backlash among the socialists, who see the presidency as rightfully theirs under the long-standing power-sharing tradition.
"Having the president elected by an EPP-far right majority would have major political repercussions," warned Richard Corbett, a former S&D MEP and expert on the Parliament's internal workings. He said the S&D would "vehemently protest" any breach of the deal.

Diplomats have cautioned that breaking the agreement could undermine the chamber's fragile centrist balance-especially if Metsola's re-election depends on support from the far right.

Neither Weber, Metsola, nor Costa's offices have responded to requests for comment, it reported.