A truly historic day for Malta as one of the Maltese members of the European Union was elected President of the European Union. Dr. Roberta Metsola received 458 votes, which is 74% of the total votes cast, and thus became the third female President of the European Union. Born as Roberta Tedesco Triccas, on January 18, 1979 in St. Julian’s, she became a member of the European Union in 2013, representing Malta, being elected again 6 years later. Roberta and her Finnish husband Ukko Metsola (National Coalition Party) both ran for the 2009 European Parliament, becoming the first married couple to run in the same European Parliament election from two different member states.
They first met in 1999 and married in October 2005. Together, they have four sons, Luca, Alec, Marc, and Kristian, the oldest 14 and the youngest 4. She has a passion for cooking and baking, a trait she inherited from her paternal grandfather who was a chef with the Royal Navy. In her acceptance speech, she stressed a politics of hope, in spite of the struggles we are all facing. She also had a special message for the youth, encouraging them to be more involved in society and the world of politics. Roberta will be the catalyst to bring all the parties, groups and organizations together, and involve everyone in the many decisions to be taken. And she also showed concern towards the front liners, workers, farmers, migrants and other minority groups. This is by far the highest honor a Maltese has ever received. She is now representing not just Malta but all of Europe. Besides, it’s a double celebration for Roberta today as she also celebrates her 43rd birthday.
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