Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Robert Abela has directly appealed to voters who supported Labour in 2022 but are now considering abstention, telling them “I want to serve you all” as he seeks to shore up support ahead of the early general election set for May 30, 2026. Addressing a family event in Mosta and later a Workers’ Day mass meeting, Abela acknowledged that around 13% of Labour’s 2022 voters currently say they would not vote, compared with 5.6% of Nationalist Party voters, a trend that has narrowed Labour’s lead in recent _MaltaToday_ surveys to about 7,500 votes. He insisted that humility would define his government, repeating a pledge first made after the 2022 election when he told flag-waving supporters that “humility will characterise this government” and that he would lead by example.
Abela framed the upcoming vote as crucial given the international situation, arguing that Malta needed a government focused solely on stability while the Middle East conflict risked spiking inflation and threatening tourism. He stressed that Malta’s economy remains among Europe’s best performers, with a 2.2% deficit, 46% debt, low inflation and no real unemployment, and guaranteed that energy prices would continue to be stable thanks to subsidies maintained for both families and businesses. The Prime Minister contrasted Labour’s record of job creation with past Nationalist predictions of financial collapse, saying “we are the best in Europe in job creation” and that the country had emerged stronger from recent crises.
In his outreach to disillusioned voters, Abela unveiled a series of social and economic measures aimed at young people, families and pensioners. These include a €1,000 “super bonus” for 175,000 workers, tax relief that would see young people entering full-time work pay no income tax on the first €30,000 earned annually for three years, and new housing assistance under which the government would finance 25% of a first-time buyer’s property value interest-free. He also pointed to Labour’s legislative record this term, such as 10 days of parental leave for the second parent extended to the self-employed, five days of carers’ leave, increased urgent family leave, and upcoming miscarriage leave of seven days fully paid by the government.
Abela urged supporters to reach out to non-voters and undecided citizens, saying Labour had always been the underdog in elections and needed to explain its values face to face. He challenged the Opposition’s credibility on financial pledges and argued that Labour had exposed flaws in the PN’s economic calculations while the Nationalists had failed to find errors in Labour’s proposals. While acknowledging concerns about overdevelopment and environmental issues that damaged the outgoing government’s standing, he promised better living standards, more opportunities for all, and a greener Malta. By telling non-voters directly that he wants to serve them, Abela is seeking to convert abstention into renewed trust, framing the election as a choice for stability, continued subsidies, and people-centred reforms rather than what he described as risky opposition promises.
