EP elects Maltese lawmaker Roberta Metsola as new president
January 19, 2022, 4:00 am

EP elects Maltese lawmaker Roberta Metsola as new president

Maltese lawmaker Roberta Metsola/Facebook page

The Xinhua reported that Maltese lawmaker Roberta Metsola was on Tuesday elected as president of the European Parliament (EP), the third woman elected to the post.

The 43-year-old lawyer by profession won in a landslide vote. She received an absolute majority of 458 votes out of 690 cast in the remote secret vote.

She beat the Greens' candidate, Alice Bah Kuhnke, who got 101 votes and The Left's candidate, Sira Rego, who got 57 votes.

Metsola, who studied European law, has been a member of the European Parliament since 2013 and has been first vice president since November 2020.

European parliament-Strasbourg-Flags/Pixabay

She succeeds David Sassoli, who died last week at the age of 65, but who had already said he was not interested in another term of office.

In her first speech after the election, Metsola vowed to always stand up for Europe and its common values of democracy, dignity, justice, solidarity, equality, rule of law and fundamental rights.

David Sassoli, the president of the European Parliament, dies aged 65

She said: "I will honor David Sassoli as president by always standing up for Europe," adding that "I want people to recapture a sense of belief and enthusiasm for our project. A belief to make our shared space safer, fairer, juster and more equal."

Metsola said she will strive to bring Europe closer to the people. "We must burst through the Strasbourg and Brussels bubble to bring Europe, its ideals and decisions, to people in different towns and villages across Europe."

Turning to the challenges facing Europe and the world, Metsola said climate change was "ravaging our continent and our world," and it was no longer a problem for another generation to deal with.

Italy bids farewell to European Parliament President David Sassoli

She said: "The European Green Deal and the pledge to be the first carbon-free continent is the right answer."

On the economy, she said businesses need less bureaucracy and more chances to take the risks that will see Europe regain its competitive edge.

Source: xinhua

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”