Spanish MEP Irene Montero to contest EP Presidency against Metsola after last minute bid

Spanish MEP Irene Montero has been put forward by The Left Group to contest for the role of European Parliament President.

Montero will face Maltese MEP and European People’s Party (EPP) candidate Roberta Metsola.

The Spanish MEP’s candidature was confirmed by the European Parliament at around 7:15pm on Monday, shortly before nominations closed.

Montero, born in Madrid, Spain, previously served as Equality Minister in the Socialist Government of Spain from January 2020 to November 2023.

She is a member of the leftist Podemos party, and was the number 1 of the list for the European elections of 2024.

She is the partner of Pablo Iglesias, one of the founders and former leader of Podemos. In 2014, Pablo Iglesias, also became MEP and ran for the EP presidency against socialist Martin Schulz, in July 2014.

According to reports, Metsola remains favourite for the role, having secured the EPP’s unanimous endorsement shortly after the MEP election.

If confirmed, the Maltese MEP will occupy the role for the first half of the parliamentary term until January 2027.

Metsola was elected European Parliament president in January 2022 getting an absolute majority of votes on the first round.