European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is emerging as a potential candidate for a third term, a move that could complicate an informal power-sharing arrangement between the Parliament’s main centrist political groups.The Maltese MEP, who belongs to the European People’s Party (EPP), is currently serving her second term as president and has not yet confirmed whether she intends to seek another mandate.However, Euronews reports that support is building for Metsola to remain in the role, with several MEPs viewing her as the likely frontrunner.The possibility has raised concerns within the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), which believes it should take over the presidency during the second half of the current parliamentary term under an informal agreement between the main pro-European groups.“We should not accept Metsola, and we will not do it. But it seems to me quite obvious it will be her again,” an unnamed Socialist MEP told Euronews.The European Parliament elects its president every two and a half years through a secret ballot of MEPs.While the position is formally decided through a vote, the major political groups have traditionally negotiated agreements over the distribution of senior EU and parliamentary posts.For the past four parliamentary terms, the EPP and S&D have generally alternated control of the Parliament presidency between the two halves of each five-year legislature.Following the 2024 European elections, the broader agreement on the EU’s top positions saw the EPP’s Ursula von der Leyen remain European Commission president, Socialist António Costa become European Council president and liberal Kaja Kallas take over as the EU’s foreign policy chief.However, the wording of the agreement concerning the European Parliament presidency appears to leave room for interpretation.One MEP told Euronews that the agreement refers to a “balanced distribution” of Parliament’s senior positions, including vice-presidencies and committee chairmanships, rather than explicitly assigning the presidency to a particular group.The EPP, as the largest political group in the European Parliament, could therefore attempt to secure another term for its candidate by seeking support from other groups.According to Euronews, Socialist delegation leaders have already discussed how to approach the next presidential election.One possibility would be to negotiate with the EPP and support Metsola in return for concessions elsewhere in Parliament, potentially including additional committee chairmanships or commitments on cooperation between the centrist groups.Another option would be for the S&D to field its own candidate.German MEP Katarina Barley has reportedly been mentioned during internal discussions, although the current balance of seats in Parliament would make a successful challenge difficult.The EPP is also expected to seek broad support for its eventual candidate rather than rely on votes from parties further to the right.Formal negotiations are expected to intensify following the summer break.Metsola has not publicly indicated whether she will seek another term, while her office has said that candidates must first be nominated by their respective political groups.The Maltese politician was re-elected as European Parliament president in July 2024 with broad cross-party support.During her time in office, she has developed a prominent international profile, particularly in relation to Ukraine and Iran.Metsola travelled to Kyiv in April 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, becoming the first leader of an EU institution to visit the Ukrainian capital following the invasion.She has also taken a strong position on Iran, supporting protesters and calling for tougher EU measures against the Iranian authorities.Her international profile has previously prompted speculation about possible future ambitions within the EU institutions.For the time being, however, attention is increasingly turning towards the next European Parliament presidential election and whether Metsola will be nominated for another term.If elected again, she would become the first person to serve three terms as President of the European Parliament.•