A former Labour minister believes Robert Abela is too weak to take difficult decisions, after the governing party’s super majority was decimated in the European elections. 

Evarist Bartolo said the prime minister could have taken “needed decisions” in his first two years in government but questioned whether he could do so now  when he can no longer afford to lose votes.  

Labour had won a Pyrrhic victory on Sunday, dropping from a majority of 42,000 to 8,500 within five years. 

The prime minister reacted to the result by saying that a substantial part of society chose not to vote because they are disappointed that some difficult decisions on overdevelopment, tables and chairs and women’s rights were not taken.  

He said the Labour party needs to take necessary decisions for the country, "even if they are not immediately popular" in the short term.

But on Wednesday Bartolo said that the government’s chance to take unpopular decisions has gone.  

“A prime minister takes difficult decisions in the first two years after winning an election,” said Bartolo, who was one of the Labour government’s more outspoken figures before losing his seat in the 2022 general elections. 

The prime minister did not take these necessary decisions after storming the general election, when he was far stronger and could afford to lose votes, Bartolo said.  

Instead, Abela worsened the problems in some instances, or allowed them to worsen, he added.

“How can he (Abela) take the decisions on the eve of the 2027 general election, when he is far weaker and cannot afford to lose votes?” Bartolo asked.