EU parliament re-elects speaker, limits far-right influence

The European Parliament on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly for Maltese conservative Roberta Metsola to remain its speaker, while also limiting the influence of far right parties despite their significant gains in June elections.

Tensions are high in Europe as European Union lawmakers start their five-year term, with current European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's future on the line before a crunch vote on Thursday.

The parliament's political make-up is more complex than ever, with two far-right groups boasting larger numbers after elections in the 27-country bloc.

But a centrist coalition made up of the EPP, the Socialists and Democrats, and Liberals is still the largest in the parliament.

The coalition blocked a new far-right group including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's party and France's National Rally getting any senior roles in the parliament.

In the first major vote, current speaker Metsola, 45, won another two-and-a-half-year mandate after receiving 562 votes in the 720-seat assembly. She is only the third woman to hold the post.

Metsola belongs to the biggest political group in the parliament, the conservative European People's Party (EPP).

"This must be a strong parliament in a strong union," Metsola said.

She later vowed to address the problems facing EU citizens including Europe's "looming" housing crisis and promised to implement "proper" migration legislation.

"We will leave Europe a better place by creating a new security and defence framework that keeps people safe," Metsola said.

She has been one of the EU's most vociferous supporters of Kyiv and after the vote, she vowed "continued and unwavering support for Ukraine".

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky offered his congratulations to Metsola, adding that he looked forward to working closely with her.

"I greatly appreciate President Metsola's personal involvement in supporting Ukraine," he said in a social media post.

All eyes are now on Thursday's vote when lawmakers decide whether to hand von der Leyen -- also of the EPP -- another five years as commission chief.

- Votes 'not respected' -

The parliament voted later Tuesday to select 14 new vice presidents, the majority of whom come from the main centrist coalition.

The European Conservatives and Reformists, dominated by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, now has two vice presidents, up from only one previously.

But Orban and Le Pen's new rival far-right group, known as Patriots for Europe, had been vying for two vice presidents but received none -- despite now being parliament's third-biggest faction with 84 seats.

The centrist coalition has refused to cooperate with the Patriots, whose ranks include controversial figures such as an Italian general, Roberto Vannacci, author of a book featuring homophobic, misogynistic and anti-migrant remarks.

"We have the impression that the voters' choice is not being respected," French EU lawmaker from the far right National Rally and former EU border agency Frontex chief, Fabrice Leggeri, told AFP.

National Rally's Leggeri had been seeking a role as a vice president.

Vice presidents can take on the speaker's duties when she is not available, including chairing parliamentary debates.

Patriots MEPs could also be excluded from leading parliamentary committees next week.

- 'Needs to walk a fine line' -

Since EU leaders struck a deal to endorse her candidacy in late June, von der Leyen has been scrambling to win over MEPs in the main political groups before the vote.

It could be a tight race. The polyglot German won by only nine votes in 2019.

"She needs to walk a fine line to get the support of different groups in the European Parliament," said Elizabeth Kuiper, associate director of the European Policy Centre think tank.

Von der Leyen must juggle lawmakers who do not want the EU to swerve from its focus on cutting carbon emissions and other MEPs who oppose new environmental regulations.

If she fails to win the vote, EU leaders will have to propose a new name.

The EPP has 188 seats. With its coalition partners it in theory has the numbers to meet the 361-vote majority threshold. But several MEPs have said they will vote against her in the secret ballot.