‘Surveys show that the 40,000-vote gap is gone’: Alex Borg

The 40,000-vote gap that secured Labour's victory in the 2022 general election is no longer there, Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg said on Sunday, while reacting to recent survey results. 

On Sunday, Times of Malta published its most recent survey, which found that Labour is five per cent ahead of the Nationalist Party and would win an election held tomorrow by around 15,000 votes.

Last week, a survey shared by statistician Vincent Marmara showed that the PL  would win by 25,000 votes, while a MaltaToday survey showed that the PL led by only 8,000 votes.

“All the surveys are showing a trend that the 40,000 gap is no longer there,” Borg said.

Speaking during a political activity outside the PN headquarters, Borg urged supporters not to take these results for granted, warning that the party must continue proving to the public that it is ready to govern.

“Now we have a responsibility, and we must be cautious with every step we take, to show people that we are the nation’s party,” he said.

Borg criticised the government for focusing more on attacking the PN than on presenting meaningful proposals.

He referred to a conference organised by PN MP Ivan Bartolo, which discussed issues such as poverty, prostitution, drug trafficking, homelessness, loneliness, and mental health.

“In our country, there are around 39,000 people at risk of poverty. Rather than resorting to personal attacks, like saying I dressed up as Donald Trump for carnival, wouldn’t it be better if the government addressed these problems?” he said.

Labour market study needed

Borg also referred to findings by a MaltaToday survey showing that overpopulation is a main concern for the Maltese.

“One of the main challenges this country is facing is population growth. People don't want populist measures, but measures that genuinely improve their quality of life,” he said.

He attributed the rapid increase in population to an economic model introduced by former prime minister Joseph Muscat and then-JobsPlus chairman Clyde Caruana, who is now Finance Minister.

“There was no investment in Malta’s infrastructure to accommodate this population growth,” Borg said, adding that the strain on the health sector is one of its consequences.

“I passed through the emergency department, and I saw stretchers in corridors, overcrowded conditions, over a hundred people waiting. This could have been avoided if the government had invested in new hospitals,” he said while referring to the Vitals hospitals' concession.

Borg proposed a labour market study to identify workforce gaps in different sectors, after which targeted measures could be introduced.

When speaking about the justice system, he criticised PL politicians for attacking the judiciary on numerous occasions.

“We’ve been promised a new court in Gozo since 2013. Now, they don’t even mention it in the budget,” he said, reaffirming that this remains a PN commitment.

Borg calls for an MoU to implement a mass transport system

Addressing Valletta’s challenges, Borg noted that the capital is “struggling to find a balance between commercialisation and residential life.”

To help reverse the decline in the city’s population, he proposed a first-time buyers’ scheme to encourage the purchase of vacant properties in Valletta.

Borg said Valletta should be promoted to tourists through advertising that reflects its cultural heritage and identity.

Finally, on traffic, Borg reiterated his call for bipartisan cooperation on a mass transport system, suggesting that both parties sign a memorandum of understanding to guarantee that, regardless of who is in government, the project will be completed.