Roberta Metsola has been elected as the youngest ever president of the European Parliament and the first woman in the role for 20 years.
Forty-three-year-old Metsola who has a record of being anti-abortion, has billed herself as pro-LGBT rights.
The Maltese national takes over the role from David Sassoli who died last week after a long illness.
Malta is the only EU member state to have a complete ban on abortion.