The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, arrived in Athens on Monday evening with the Vice-President of the Parliament, Yannis Plakiotakis, welcoming her.

This is Ms Metsola’s first official visit to Greece and she is scheduled to meet today, Tuesday, with the country’s political leadership, as her predecessor, David Sassoli, did in 2021.

Touchdown in Athens! ???? pic.twitter.com/exzTsmbZMF

— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) February 19, 2024

Against the backdrop of the European elections in June, Ms. Metsola is expected to visit EU member states to encourage citizens to use their votes to decide which direction the EU will take in the next five years.

To this end, in Athens, Metsola will also talk to the new generation encourage them to vote, as concerns are being raised at European level about the potential for abstention, particularly among younger people, at a time when the rise of far-right and populist parties is a cause for concern.

At 10am, Roberta Metsola is expected to go to the Megaro Maximou where she will meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

My friend @donaldtusk and I have the honor to nominate @vonderleyen as the @EPP‘s lead candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission. She is staunchly devoted to the promotion of our common values and the protection of Europe’s unity and solidarity.
She has our trust.

— Kyriakos Mitsotakis (@kmitsotakis) February 19, 2024

Following their meeting, they will make statements to the press.

Immediately afterwards, she will meet with the president of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

At 12 noon, the President of the European Parliament will visit the Greek Parliament.

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There she will meet with the President of the Parliament, Konstantinos Tasoulas, and address a joint meeting of the Committees on European Affairs, National Defence and Foreign Affairs, Economic Affairs, Public Administration, Public Order and Justice, Production and Trade, in the plenary chamber of the Parliament, chaired by the President of the Committee on European Affairs, Mr. Ioannis Plakiotakis. The topic of Ms Metsola’s speech will be “The European Union in view of the European elections”.

Roberta Metsola will also meet representatives of the opposition parties for about half an hour.