Spanish MEP Irene Montero to contest EP Presidency against Metsola after last minute bid
Spanish MEP Irene Montero has been put forward by The Left Group to contest for the role of European Parliament President
15 July 2024, 7:54pm
Karl Azzopardi
Karl Azzopardi
1 min read
Spanish MEP Irene Montero (right) will be running for European Parliament President against incumbent MEP Roberta Metsola (left)
Spanish MEP Irene Montero has been put forward by The Left Group to contest for the role of European Parliament President.
Montero will face Maltese MEP and European People’s Party (EPP) candidate Roberta Metsola.
The Spanish MEP’s candidature was confirmed by the European Parliament at around 7:15pm on Monday, shortly before nominations closed.
Montero, born in Madrid, Spain, previously served as Equality Minister in the Socialist Government of Spain from January 2020 to November 2023.
The following nominations have been received for the election to the office of the European Parliament’s President:
— EP PressService (@EuroParlPress) July 15, 2024
- Roberta METSOLA
- Irene MONTERO
The first ballot will take place tomorrow, Tuesday 16 July, at 10.00 in Strasbourg#EPlenaryhttps://t.co/cmjJa59UKD
She is a member of the leftist Podemos party, and was the number 1 of the list for the European elections of 2024.
She is the partner of Pablo Iglesias, one of the founders and former leader of Podemos. In 2014, Pablo Iglesias, also became MEP and ran for the EP presidency against socialist Martin Schulz, in July 2014.
According to reports, Metsola remains favourite for the role, having secured the EPP’s unanimous endorsement shortly after the MEP election.
If confirmed, the Maltese MEP will occupy the role for the first half of the parliamentary term until January 2027.
Metsola was elected European Parliament president in January 2022 getting an absolute majority of votes on the first round.
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
Karl Azzopardi is Online Editor and an IGM press awards (Human Stories) winner of 2019
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