Latest survey gives Labour a 39,000-vote lead over PN

Updated 12:34 with Bernard Grech reaction

A survey published on Sunday has given the Labour Party a 39,000-vote lead over the PN.

According to the MaltaToday survey, Labour enjoys a 14-point lead over the opposition, putting the gulf between the parties at around the same levels of the 2022 general election result.

The opposition was briefly buoyed last year after an unexpected strong showing in the June 2024 European Parliament elections, where it slashed the gap with Labour to 8,454 votes.

Malta Today’s survey put Labour’s lead down to a mixture of a decline in PL voters saying they will abstain, greater losses in the PN to third parties and a lower retention rate by the opposition.

The same survey indicated a significant gap between the trust ratings of Labour leader Robert Abela and PN leader Bernard Grech.

While Abela attracted a 50% trust rating, Grech’s trust was just 18.8%, a gap of 31 percentage points.

A Times of Malta poll in February shows that eight months on, Labour’s lead had already shot back up to just under 19,000 votes.

Sunday’s survey will likely trigger renewed questions about the apparent lack of direction and leadership within the PN.

Just last week, PN leader Bernard Grech was forced to quash rumours he was planning to resign and make way for European Parliament president Roberta Metsola.

Reacting to the survey on Facebook, PN MP Alex Borg said people want an effective opposition that offers hope, and not one that only focuses on highlighting the negative qualities of others.

Andre Grech, a backer of ex-PN leader Adrian Delia, said the party’s issues run far deeper than its leadership.

“The party must stop merely reacting to the government’s every move and instead take a hard look inward. It needs to lock itself in a room — metaphorically speaking — and finally define a clear identity and long-term strategy,” Grech said.

Ian Cilia, a PN activist, warned that entering the next general election without a serious change at the top would be a grave mistake that risks the party's long-term survival.

'Unfortunate' results

During an interview on NET on Sunday, Grech acknowledged the “unfortunate” results of the survey.

“Despite the realities that are bothering the people, unfortunately, the gap has increased. I am not going to ignore the survey,” Grech said.

The opposition leader added the results show that he and his colleagues now carry a greater responsibility to "work harder and improve in order to become a credible alternative government".