Last year, Roberta Metsola made history by becoming the youngest-ever president of the European Parliament. There is one mission above all that she has put at the heart of her presidency: reconnecting the European Union with its citizens. Whenever she travels to one of the bloc’s 27 member states, whatever the issues on the agenda, she always finds time to meet with local people. And she repeats a powerful message: Get involved. Do not ever give in to cynicism. You can be the engine of change.
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Roberta also works tirelessly to make European institutions better and more transparent. When some European lawmakers were accused of taking bribes during the Qatargate scandal, she advocated tougher anticorruption rules around lobbying and financial disclosures to uphold the Parliament’s credibility. She has made it very clear that politicians have to be role models.
Roberta’s passion for Europe has led her to the highest seat in the European Parliament: now she is channeling it in the service of all Europeans.
Von der Leyen is the European Commission president
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