European Parliament President Roberta Metsola praised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's "common-sense solutions" to reduce EU bureaucracy and strengthen the single market. Metsola's remarks come amid speculation about her potential bid for the European Commission presidency in 2029.
The comments signal potential shifts in EU regulatory priorities and highlight the political maneuvering ahead of future leadership positions within the bloc, particularly concerning the balance between market competitiveness and SME burdens.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has voiced support for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's efforts to simplify European Union bureaucracy. Speaking at the annual Meeting Rimini festival, Metsola lauded Meloni's "common-sense solutions" for reducing red tape and enhancing the EU's global competitiveness.
Metsola emphasized the need for the EU to streamline regulations, particularly highlighting the packaging regulation passed during her previous term. She described the law, which imposes costs on companies for managing packaging waste and requires representatives in every EU country, as imposing "rigid and counterproductive burdens on European small and medium-sized enterprises." The European Commission had previously suggested easing compliance by scrapping the representative requirement, a move opposed by EU governments but supported by some MEPs for smaller companies.
Metsola expressed pride in the European Parliament's initiative to address these issues, with a vote on a revised proposal expected in October. The meetings and public statements by Metsola, a Maltese national fluent in Italian, have fueled speculation about her potential bid for the European Commission presidency in 2029, with her travels to Rome seen as an effort to build Italian support.