EU’s new Prez to back abortion law

Brussels, Jan 19 (UNI) European Union’s newly elected President Roberta Metsola has vowed to “stand up” for the parliament and represent the “unambiguous” position of the parliament on abortion.
Metsola was on Tuesday, which was also her 43rd birthday, voted to be the EU President, a week after the body’s previous chief David Sassoli died.
Malta legislator is the first woman to hold EU’s presidency in two decades and third female president of EU.
Speaking at her first press conference, she said, “My position is that of the European Parliament. This parliament has always been clear and unambiguous on the issue of sexual and reproductive health rights.
“I will not interpret positions of this House. They will be my positions and I will promote them.”
“I will do what i did as vice president when I presented to the Polish senate a resolution passed on abortion law in Poland. I promoted it and presented it as the position of parliament,” she said.
According to CNN, while she has advocated for LGBT rights as part of the center-right EPP group, her track record of voting against abortion legislation has drawn criticism from progressive members.
In 2015, she said in a joint statement that she along with two other Maltese MEPs “remain categorically against abortion and called the procedure a “red line”.
Her election has been criticized by some of the Parliament’s left wing and Greens. “This is not progress,” said Federation of Young European Greens in a tweet.