European Parliament President and Maltese politician, Roberta Metsola has been hailed as one of the world's next top leaders by Time Magazine.

The global magazine published its 'Time100 Next' list of 100 people from across the world making an impact in various fields, including politics, health, climate, businesses, sport and art.

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen penned the testimonial to President Metsola, saying that Metsola is someone who brought the European Union closer to the people.

“Whenever she travels to one of the bloc’s 27 Member States, whatever the issues on the agenda, she always finds time to meet with local people. And she repeats a powerful message: Get involved. Do not ever give in to cynicism. You can be the engine of change”, Ursula von der Leyen expressed.

She also praised the role and work of Roberta Metsola in spearheading major reforms within the European Parliament, saying that “Roberta works tirelessly to make European institutions better and more transparent”.

“Roberta’s passion for Europe has led her to the highest seat in the European Parliament: now she is channeling it in the service of all Europeans”, she concluded.  

President Metsola welcomed the publication positively.

“Since my first day in politics, my priority has been to bridge the gap between European decision-making and the people we are elected to represent. It's a wonderful surprise and honour to be included in this list, particularly as the first person from Malta and Gozo. I hope that this serves to continue to put the European Parliament on the world map and help in getting the message of Europe across”, she highlighted.

President Metsola is expected to address an event in New York in the coming weeks in recognition of her inclusion in the list.

You can view the rest of the list on here.