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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 19 January 2022
Malta legislator becomes 3rd female EU Parliament president

By RAF CASERT cades until the next wom-
BRUSSELS (AP) — Roberta an is standing here."
Metsola, a Christian Demo- The European Parliament
crat from Malta, was elect- represents the EU's 450 mil-
ed president of the Euro- lion citizens and refers to
pean Union's parliament itself as "the heart of Eu-
Tuesday, putting women ropean democracy." The
in three of the four biggest parliament has long been
jobs in the 27-nation bloc. the lesser EU institution
Metsola succeeds Italian compared to the execu-
Socialist David Sassoli, who tive European Commission
died last week. She is only and the European Council.
the third woman elected to For many years, the par-
the post. Her birthday was liament, which sits in Stras-
Tuesday, and at age 43, bourg, France, and Brus-
she is the European Parlia- sels was seen as a money-
ment's youngest president. guzzling talking shop where
Metsola was the candi- politicians who had served
date of the parliament's their national purpose of-
biggest group, and she re- ten were sent.
ceived 458 of the 616 votes As it gained decision-mak-
cast Tuesday. She had al- ing powers, though, the
ready been acting presi- Lagarde, runs the power- term. She referred to giants of legislature it has become
dent since Sassoli's Jan. 11 ful European Central Bank, Metsola will lead an EU in- European post-war poli- a more forceful player on
death. which has vast sway over stitution which has become tics like German Christian the European scene. Met-
"I know that having the first the EU economy. more powerful over the Democrat Helmut Kohl and sola wants to continue that
female president of this The European Council, years and been instrumen- French Socialist Francois trend.
house since 1999 matters which represents the gov- tal in charting the course of Mitterrand to overcome "We need to strengthen
both inside and outside ernments of the 27 member the 27-nation bloc on issues party divisions and give her it. We cannot be afraid of
these rooms, but it must states, is lead by a man, such as the digital econo- guidance. reform," she said. "The next
go further," Metsola told Charles Michel, who as my, climate change and "My appeal is to rediscover part of the mandate will
the plenary. "Our institution council president hosts the Brexit. the purpose of Kohl and see a window of opportu-
commits to having more summits of the bloc's lead- Known as a committed Mitterrand and leave be- nity to make our parliament
diversity, gender equal- ers. bridge-builder between hind the entrenchment of more modern, more effec-
ity, guaranteeing women's The presidential elec- parties, Metsola said she the past as we look to the tive and more efficient. We
rights, all our rights must be tion for the second half of would stick to Sassoli's style future," she said. must seize the opportunity."
reaffirmed." the legislature had long of work. And reflecting on the Eu- Metsola is the first politician
EU Commission President been planned, but it be- "David fought hard to bring ropean Parliament's last from Malta, a Mediterra-
Ursula von der Leyen could came more poignant after people around the same female president, France's nean archipelago in the
not attend the parliamen- the death of Sassoli, who table. It is that commitment Nicole Fontaine, who pre- central Mediterranean with
tary session since she is in had been sick for several to holding the constructive sided from 1999 to 2002, a population of just over
a COVID-19 quarantine. months and decided not forces in Europe together Metsola vowed that "it will half a million, to hold such
Another woman, Christine to seek another 2 1/2-year that I will build on," she said. not be another two de- a high position in the EU. q

COVID-19 health emergency could be over this year, WHO says

GENEVA (AP) — The head addressed quickly. But "we have a chance to low levels of disease inci- violence in our inner cities.
of emergencies at the Dr. Michael Ryan, speaking to end the public health dence with maximum vac- Endemic in itself does not
World Health Organiza- during a panel discussion emergency this year if we cination of our populations, mean good. Endemic just
tion said Tuesday that the on vaccine equity hosted do the things that we've so nobody has to die," Ryan means it's here forever," he
worst of the coronavirus by the World Economic been talking about," he said. "The issue is: It's the said.
pandemic deaths, hospi- Forum, said "we may nev- said. death. It's the hospitaliza- Public health officials have

talizations and lockdowns er end the virus" because WHO has slammed the tions. It's the disruption of warned it is highly unlikely
could be over this year if such pandemic viruses imbalance in COVID-19 our social, economic, po- COVID-19 will be eliminat-
huge inequities in vacci- "end up becoming part of vaccination between rich litical systems that's caused ed and say it will continue
nations and medicines are the ecosystem." and poor countries as a the tragedy not the virus." to kill people, though at
catastrophic moral failure. Ryan also waded into the much lower levels, even af-
Fewer than 10% of people growing debate about ter it becomes endemic.
in lower-income countries whether COVID-19 should Fellow panelist Gabriela
have received one dose of be considered endemic, Bucher, executive director
COVID-19 vaccine. a label some countries like of the anti-poverty organi-
Ryan told the virtual gath- Spain have called for to zation Oxfam International,
ering of world and busi- help better live with the cited the "enormous ur-
ness leaders that if vac- virus, or still a pandemic gency" of fairer distribution

cines and other tools aren't involving intensified mea- of vaccines and the need
shared fairly, the tragedy of sures that many countries for large-scale produc-
the virus, which has so far have taken to fight the tion. She said resources to
killed more than 5.5 million spread. fight the pandemic were
people worldwide, would "Endemic malaria kills hun- being "hoarded by a few
continue. dreds of thousands of peo- companies and a few
"What we need to do is get ple; endemic HIV; endemic shareholders."q