Robert Abela last week silenced speculation of an early general election as he marked five years in office. The rumours, which had grown louder in recent weeks, pointed to internal strife within the Labour Party and followed its vote haemorrhage in the June elections.
Abela took over the leadership of the Labour Party, and subsequently the country, in one of the biggest political upheavals Malta had ever seen as Joseph Muscat resigned in disgrace amid the political fallout from the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Inheriting a party and government tainted by corruption allegations, Abela moved swiftly to distance himself from certain controversial figures, projecting an image of renewal and pledging to tackle rule of law issues.
Barely had he settled into Castille when COVID-19 upended the world. In what was arguably the most defining crisis of his premiership, Abela made the bold decision to throw money at the problem to keep the economy, jobs and lives afloat. The country emerged from the pandemic with only minor bruises.
And then Russia invaded Ukraine. Inflation surged, energy prices spiked and supply chains were disrupted. Once again, Abela’s government sought to shield the public from economic hardship. The Stabbiltà scheme, though flawed, managed to curb some inflationary pressures in an open market.
The economy remained buoyant, thanks in large part to a strong rebound in tourism and a labour migration model that kept wages competitive. However, this also exacerbated Malta’s overpopulation problem, leading to further strain on infrastructure and public services and fuelling public disgruntlement.
Meanwhile, Abela struggled to escape the shadow of Muscat with fresh scandals emerging almost weekly. His inability – or unwillingness – to decisively sever ties with the Muscat administration kept him embroiled in controversy.
Abela spoke about quality of life but not many would agree it improved under his watch
There’s more. While he started his premiership by removing questionable figures from his administration, he has gradually welcomed many of them back. Labour has since turned nepotism into an art form and the cycle of promotions (at taxpayers’ expense) to appease dissenters has become a worn-out strategy, driving away moderates.
Abela has often appeared indecisive. From his early missteps on pandemic restrictions to his most damaging blunder – initially blocking a public inquiry into the tragic construction site death of Jean Paul Sofia – his hesitations have repeatedly cost him.
The Abela-led government has managed to reform some rotten systems and regulate others which were previously a wild west. Some of that change has been reluctant – see the ongoing drip-drip of construction sector regulation – but it is undeniably a step forward.
In one surprising respect, Abela’s government has been a step back. We were accustomed to politicians steering clear of attacking the judiciary. No more. Abela has criticised criminal judgments, attacked specific magistrates and questioned prosecutorial decisions.
Abela spoke about quality of life but not many would agree it improved under his watch. The electoral pledge to green the island is proving to be a greenwash and there is no attempt to slow down construction business which has uglified the island. Meanwhile, public spaces continue being taken over by big business and a generation is fast giving up of owning its own property.
Yet, Malta retains a strong economy and the Abela government’s ability to avoid new taxes and instead offer financial handouts, or tweak income tax bands, has helped keep certain discontent at bay. And this was one of the main reasons Abela won the 2022 election with a landslide.
Rumours of disgruntlement within Labour’s ranks will persist, with speculation that internal rivals may be eyeing Abela’s position. Many within the party see him as indecisive, others believe he carries political and personal baggage that could harm Labour in the long run.
Yet, Abela probably remains Labour’s trump card to secure a possible unprecedented fourth consecutive election victory in 2027.