The European Parliament's new President immediately faced questions on her views on abortion
CNN
Maltese center-right politician Roberta Metsola has been elected as the new European Parliament President, a week after the body's previous head David Sassoli died suddenly, and she immediately faced questions around her stance on abortion rights.
Metsola, who was voted into the post on her 43rd birthday, had served as the Parliament's vice-president since 2020 and was elected comfortably in Tuesday's leadership vote, winning the support of 458 of the group's 705 MEPs.
She is the third woman to lead the Parliament, but has drawn early criticism over her opposition to abortion -- a procedure that is legal, if restricted, in every EU country except her own nation of Malta. Reproductive rights have become a central issue on the continent since Poland introduced a near-total ban on terminations last year.
