'Proud Mama' - Metsola's Helsinki visit takes personal turn
Metsola's son is serving in the Finnish military
An official visit to Finland by European Parliament president Roberta Metsola took a personal turn when she met with her son, who is currently engaged in compulsory military service.
In a photo posted to Facebook, the EP president can be seen standing next to her son, Luca Matias, who is dressed in military fatigues, with the words, “Proud Mama. Proud European” accompanying the image.
Metsola’s husband is Finnish. Every male Finnish citizen aged 18-60 is liable for military service.
The post drew thousands of reactions and hundreds of comments from Maltese nationals wishing the family well.
The EP president first revealed that her son was serving in the Finnish military in February this year while speaking at a roundtable discussion at the Munich Security Conference.
Her visit this week to the Finnish capital Helsinki included meetings with the country’s prime minister Petteri Orpo, president Alexander Stubb and speaker Jussi Halla-aho.
Metsola paid tribute to Finland's defence industry during her visit, saying "Finnish companies... manufacture drone systems here and supply them directly to the Ukrainian forces", as reported by the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrinform.
"These are the defence innovations Europe needs more of," Metsola said.
European countries have boosted defence spending in recent years following pressure from US President Donald Trump.