Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela has secured a fourth successive election victory for his Labour Party, extending its hold on power, though with a reduced majority compared with previous polls.
Speaking after early results, Abela described the outcome as a strong endorsement of his government’s agenda.
“This is a victory of all the people based on the programme we presented for all the people,” he said, adding that the result reflected a clear mandate from voters.
Opposition narrows margin
The opposition Nationalist Party, led by Alex Borg, conceded defeat, while noting a significant narrowing of the gap. Borg said the margin had been cut to around 18,000 votes, down from roughly 39,000 in the 2022 election, calling the result a setback but urging supporters not to lose hope.
Final results were still pending, but early indications suggested Labour would retain a comfortable parliamentary majority, albeit with a smaller share of the vote than the 55% it secured in the previous election. Turnout stood at 87.4%, slightly higher than in 2022.
Celebrations broke out among Labour supporters at the vote-counting centre in Naxxar, where crowds marked the historic result. Festivities later continued with gatherings at party headquarters and traditional car parades across the country.
Abela called the snap election a year ahead of schedule, citing global uncertainty. His campaign focused on Malta’s strong economic performance, with growth of around 4% last year and low unemployment helping support voter confidence.
However, challenges remain. The conflict in the Middle East has raised concerns about inflation, particularly for Malta’s import-dependent economy and tourism sector, both sensitive to rising fuel costs.
The opposition entered the election weakened by internal divisions, with Borg taking over leadership only months before the vote, leaving limited time to present a fully developed alternative platform.
Malta’s political landscape remains dominated by the Labour and Nationalist parties, with smaller parties failing to cross the 5% threshold needed to secure parliamentary representation.
Abela, who became prime minister in 2020 after succeeding Joseph Muscat, is expected to be sworn in for a new term on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterising the talks positively while also threatening t...
Families of Moroccan migrants who crossed into the Spanish coastal exclave of Ceuta spent Tuesday searching for missing relatives or waiting anxiously...
AI agents developed by Anthropic and OpenAI carried out unauthorised online actions during cybersecurity tests, including creating fake identities to ...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 5th of August, covering the latest developments.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has said. Iran refrained from taking action after Kyiv said the strike was a mistake, Mohsen Rezaei told the state IRIB TV channel.
U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterising the talks positively while also threatening to hit Iran "really hard" if a deal was not reached.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. data analytics firm Palantir Technologies has reported a 93 per cent year-on-year jump in second-quarter revenue, even as the company faces continued criticism over its work with Israel's military and allegations linking its technology to the war in Gaza.a.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the country's ambassadors to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and several other countries. The removals came after a speech on Monday in which he said embassies would be judged on their effectiveness in securing weapons for Ukraine.
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have begun implementing a landmark 2022 border agreement, launching a land exchange to complete the demarcation of their shared frontier and pave the way for new infrastructure projects.
A new Ebola treatment centre is due to open this week in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as authorities battle the country's largest and fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record. Officials hope the new facility will ease pressure on an overstretched healthcare system.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israeli forces will not withdraw from their current positions in Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed, casting further doubt on a U.S.-backed proposal aimed at ending the war.
Turkish top-tier side Trabzonspor said they have begun transfer negotiations with Mohamed Salah, with the club chairman adding they hoped to sign the Egyptian forward later this week.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment