labor party
Prime Minister Abela celebrates election victory in Malta
Robert Abela, re-elected Prime Minister of Malta. Photo: Michel Euler/AP/dpa
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In Malta, Prime Minister Abela and his Labor Party have been confirmed with a clear majority. In the elections, the Social Democrats clearly prevail over the nationalists.
The ruling Labor Party celebrated a clear victory in the parliamentary elections in Malta. Robert Abela can remain prime minister in the smallest country in the EU.
The 44-year-old Social Democrat spoke on Sunday of a “clear” majority over the conservative Nationalist Party. An official result should not be published until Monday.
Election observers from the two parties in the hall for the counting of votes very quickly reported Abela’s victory in the morning. The Labor helpers celebrated the success exuberantly, while the voting cards handed in were being sorted right next to them. Opposition leader and top candidate Bernard Grech congratulated his political opponent.
Guided well through the pandemic
Labor polls indicated the victory. According to voters, Abela had guided the Mediterranean island with its 516,000 inhabitants well through the pandemic and kept the financial damage within limits. Labor promised investment and relief, such as extending free childcare to all parents.
According to experts, the consequences of Corona and the war in Ukraine also ensured that the past did not play a decisive role in the election. The Social Democrats have been in power in Valletta since 2013 and have been involved in many corruption scandals. Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia exposed some of the affairs – in October 2017 she was killed by a car bomb.
“Culture of Impunity”
The case shocked the world. According to a 2021 investigative report, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his cabinet were indirectly responsible for the murder because they promoted a “culture of impunity” and thus did not adequately protect the reporter. Muscat resigned in January 2020 and was succeeded by Abela.
The lawyer and son of a former president spoke of a “great responsibility” and hoped for “national unity”. Malta has also been criticized in recent years for the so-called “golden passports”: rich foreigners – from Russia, for example – could obtain citizenship and an EU passport if they invested a lot of money in the island. This practice was only recently suspended because of the conflict in Ukraine. In addition, Malta is repeatedly accused of inaction in the rescue of boat migrants.
The month-long election campaign was unremarkable because of the war – which is reflected in the voter turnout: only around 85.5 percent of the citizens – including 16 and 17 year olds for the first time – cast their votes. Elsewhere that would be a success; Malta, however, registered the lowest voter turnout since independence in 1964.