Malta’s Roberta Metsola elected EU Parliament's third woman president

Maltese lawmaker Roberta Metsola attends a ceremony to pay tribute to the late European Parliament President David Sassoli in Strasbourg, France on January 17, 2022. © Gonzalo Fuentes, Reuters

The European Parliament elected conservative Maltese lawmaker Roberta Metsola as its president on Tuesday, making her the EU assembly's first woman president in 20 years.

Metsola succeeded Italian socialist David Sassoli in the mostly ceremonial role presiding over the 705-member parliament of the European Union, after he died this month at the age of 65.