Malta's Prime Minister Robert Abela calls early general election for May

Published on 28/04/2026 - 8:53 GMT+2

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela connected Monday called an aboriginal wide predetermination for 30 May, with his Labour enactment seeking a 4th consecutive term.

Speaking successful a televised address, Abela said Malta "needs an elected authorities with a caller mandate focused solely connected the country's needs successful airy of each the challenges that the existent discourse brings with it."

The Maltese person chiefly cited rising vigor costs owed to the Middle East conflict, arsenic concerns and fears of a spike successful ostentation turn successful a state reliant connected imports.

He promised that vigor prices would stay "stable" and said his authorities would beryllium a "shield" for the citizens of Malta.

According to data, Malta's system ranks amongst the apical performers successful Europe, with a authorities indebtedness of 46%, a shortage of 2.2% of GDP and small to nary existent unemployment figures.

However, galore industries trust connected overseas workers oregon labour and tourism remains a backbone with immoderate estimates showing it contributes immoderate 15 percent to GDP.

Abela, a erstwhile lawyer, won a landslide triumph successful the 2022 elections. He volition look disconnected against Nationalist enactment person Alex Borg.

Abela's predecessor, Joseph Muscat, was forced to discontinue aft being accused of shielding his allies from the probe into the 2017 car weaponry assassination of writer Daphne Caruana Galizia, who had accused apical members of Muscat's medication of corruption.

Since 1966, the Maltese parliament has lone had representatives from these 2 parties.