Ane Barcos/Aquí Europa
MEPs Esteban González Pons, of the European People's Party (EPP), and Javi López, of the Group of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), will be two of the 14 vice-presidents of the European Parliament after both obtaining an absolute majority in the first round of voting.
The socialist MEP Javi López and the popular Esteban González Pons will be part of the group of vice presidents of the tenth legislature of the European Parliament, which began yesterday Tuesday in Strasbourg.
In the first round of voting for the vice-presidencies of the European Parliament, a total of 701 votes were cast, of which 36 were blank, leaving 665 valid votes. The absolute majority required was 333 votes, a number that both López and Pons have surpassed, with 377 and 478 votes, respectively.
In the same round, MEPs Sabine Verheyen (EPP), Ewa Kopacz (EPP), Katarina Barley (S&D) were elected: Pina Picierno (S&D), Victor Negrescu (S&D), Martin Hojsík (Renew), Christel Schaldemose (S&D ), Sophie Wilmès (Renew) and Nicolae Stefanuta (The Greens). The three remaining vice presidents will be decided in subsequent rounds throughout the afternoon. If a third vote is necessary, a simple majority will suffice for the election of the remaining positions. In the event of a tie, the oldest candidates will be declared elected.
As new members of the Parliament's Bureau, López and Pons will have new responsibilities, such as replacing the also recently elected President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, when necessary, including presiding over plenary sessions.
López became a MEP for the first time in 2014 and in the last term he was head of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and the Subcommittee on Security and Defense, as well as co-president of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (Eurolat).
After his election as vice president was announced, he stated that he will work "to protect democratic consensus and pluralism and for a stronger and more united, sustainable, transparent and participatory Parliament."
González Pons also took his seat in the European Parliament in 2019. In the last term, he was part of the Legal Affairs Committee and the Constitutional Affairs Committee.
Metsola beats Montero
For her part, the conservative Maltese Roberta Metsola was re-elected yesterday Tuesday as president of the European Parliament, obtaining 562 votes compared to 61 for her only opponent, the Spanish Irene Montero. Metsola, who succeeded the late David Sassoli in 2022, will continue to lead the European Parliament for two and a half more years.
Roberta Metsola received the support of 562 MEPs, far exceeding the necessary absolute majority of 312 votes, thus avoiding a second round. Metsola, who took office after Sassoli's death, became the youngest president in the history of the institution at 43 years old, in addition to being the first woman to hold the position in two decades and the third to preside over the European Parliament.
Metsola's only opponent was Irene Montero, former Minister of Equality, nominated by the Left group on Monday afternoon. Although her candidacy was mainly symbolic, it was not the first time that Metsola faced a Spanish woman, since in 2022 she competed against Sira Rego, current Minister of Children and Youth.
...
