Budget Day announced: October 27

The government will be presenting its 2026 Budget on October 27, promising lower taxes, bigger benefits, more investment for business and families, and stable bills, Prime Minister Robert Abela said.

The date was announced on Saturday evening during a Labour Party event at Kennedy Grove, where he listed the achievements of the party in the past 12 years in government.

Reiterating his call that this will be "the best budget ever", Abela insisted that from now on "all budgets will be like this".

"We get things done," he said, as he revealed "more progressive reforms" in civil rights are in the pipeline.

Starting his speech with a rallying call for "team Malta", Abela highlighted how his government had managed to continue "sharing" benefits with the people – "and not with political parties" – despite the economic instability in surrounding countries.

"We are the only country in Europe to subsidise energy," he said, adding that as a man from Qormi he gives his word, "and not just till noon", that this will continue.

He also promised that in the forthcoming budget, pensioners will receive the 11th increase in their pension – "and this will continue to increase year on year".

Touching upon law and order, Abela revealed that, following an ongoing exercise, 350 foreigners who were in Malta illegally have been deported between January and August.

"Everyone should respect our laws," he said, adding that more discipline needs to be introduced.

Abela's speech was preceded by speeches from MEP Alex Agius Saliba and Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg, who both focused on the theme of unity within the party in a dig at the Nationalist Party.

Borg, who is also responsible for the tourism portfolio, revealed he is prepared to hold meetings with the mayors of Swieqi and Valletta to address the issues blighting the localities, including problems with Airbnb rentals, misbehaving tourists, waste collection and noise.

Agius Saliba called on the newly elected opposition leader to instruct his MEPs to "stop damaging Malta's image abroad and scaring away investment from Malta".

He also shot down any suggestion that political parties could be publicly funded, arguing that "if others were not careful [with money] they need to learn how to be careful".

"People will not pay for your debts," Agius Saliba said, in direct reference to Alex Borg's proposal for reforms to party financing.

Both Agius Saliba and Ian Borg played down any rumours about a general election happening any time soon, with the MEP insisting it will happen "only when the prime minister decides it is in the best interest of the country".

Referring to Alex Borg's statement that he could win an election in less than a year, Agius Saliba said: "No election is won in a month."