Labour triumphs in Malta election, preliminary results show

Malta’s Labour Party (PL) has won an unprecedented fourth term in a victory for Prime Minister Robert Abela, a sample of vote counts showed.

Preliminary results gave the election to PL, officials at the counting hall in Naxxar said on Sunday, as fireworks were set off across the tiny Mediterranean island.

list of 3 items

list 1 of 3Voters in Malta head to polls for early elections
list 2 of 3Voting ongoing in snap elections in Malta, governing party expected to win
list 3 of 3Trump is right. Europe is in crisis

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“This is a victory of all ⁠the people based on the programme we presented for all the people,” Abela told reporters, ⁠saying results showed his party had “won a strong mandate”.

“Let us maintain the spirit of national unity and move the country forward together,” he said.

Journalists following the ‌vote count said PL had won a comfortable parliamentary majority, although it appeared to be narrower than in 2022, when it took 55 percent of all ballots cast. The election was held on Saturday and saw ⁠a turnout of 87.4 percent, slightly up from the last general election in ⁠2022.

Representatives of the various parties and candidates monitor the regularity of the counting for Malta's legislative elections at the Electoral Commission Counting Complex, in Naxxar, on the island of Malta, on May 31, 2026. — Representatives of various parties and candidates monitor the regularity of the counting for Malta’s legislative elections at the counting venue, in Naxxar, Malta, on May 31, 2026 [AFP]

Charles Bonello, general secretary of the opposition Nationalist Party (PN), conceded the election ⁠in remarks to state ⁠broadcaster TVM, but said his party had nonetheless managed to slash back Labour’s majority.

Abela, 48, called the snap election a year early, saying the government needed a fresh mandate to shield the tiny, import-heavy island from geopolitical crises.

While Malta’s economy grew 4 percent last year, there are concerns the conflict in the Middle East could have an impact on tourism due to spiralling aviation fuel costs and drive up inflation.

Members of staff count votes casted for Malta's legislative elections at the Electoral Commission Counting Complex, in Naxxar, on the island of Malta, on May 31, 2026. — Vote counting in progress in Naxxar, Malta, May 31, 2026 [AFP]

Abela campaigned on PL’s economic record since 2013, pledging stability in a period of uncertainty.

His main rival was PN candidate Alex Borg, a 30-year-old lawyer and former Mr World Malta contest winner.

Abela has led Malta since 2020, when his predecessor quit following a political crisis over the 2017 killing of reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia, who exposed corruption at the highest level in the country.

According to a 2025 Council of Europe report, Malta remains significantly behind in the fight against corruption, but the issue was not a hot topic on the campaign trail.

Located off the coast of Sicily, Malta is the smallest and most densely populated country in the European Union, with about 550,000 people living in 316sq km (122sq miles).

The island has a thriving economy based largely on tourism, online gaming and financial services, and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the EU.

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