The European Parliament and the local council election results confirmed, once again, that people want Labour  but they want a better version of it.

In every challenge there is an opportunity. There is one here for Labour now and I am sure we have the courage to take it. Prime Minister Robert Abela has already set the ball rolling: we must renew.

We will.

In the coming days and weeks there will be an open and frank exchange of ideas followed by robust action. There is no time and place for comfort zones. For starters, a fatalistic approach will add nothing to improve the situation and is unnecessary. The electorate has no time for useless drama. They want action now.

Labour has been on a winning streak since 2013 and it did so through landslide victories. Two years ago, Abela, as the new leader of the Labour Party, led Labour to its biggest election victory ever. And, yes, Labour won the 2024 EP and the local council elections too – the fifth EP election win for Labour in a row. That is a remarkable achievement.

However, this time round, the gap between the two parties has narrowed. That needs to be addressed.

A few facts that came out of the polling booths. The gap between both parties was narrowed because a substantial amount of Labour Party voters abstained on polling day or invalidated their ballot sheet  while a few others voted for an independent candidate.

Admittedly, the Nationalist Party increased its tally but the fact remains it still has not won an election since 2008 and it made no gains since the last general election. 

The next general election is three years from now. In politics, three years is a long time, and a lot will happen, and a lot can be done, and will be done, till then.

The EP and local council elections happened in a very particular, and unprecedented, political scenario. Key politicians, former and current, and top civil servants were dragged to court on the back of a magisterial inquiry that dragged on for five years until it was concluded at the very start of the election campaign.

These developments dominated the election campaign, leaving little if any time for the Labour Party to focus on what it is strongest at: its focus on bread-and-butter issues. It is being said that these court sittings had a significant impact on Labour’s electoral fortunes. They probably did.

The people deserve better. They do not expect favours but rights and we must be sensitive to their realities

But there were other issues at play, some of which, as an MEP candidate, I encountered daily: overdevelopment; overpopulation; traffic congestions – despite our constant efforts to address this matter and notwithstanding our achievements, it does remain a pertinent issue; the high cost of living – despite the government’s efforts, through the stability mechanisms, to cushion the increase in prices; and annoying bureaucracy within government departments.

The scattering of tables and chairs across public spaces too was widely mentioned.

No mention was made of economic decline; unemployment and lack of job opportunities for our youth because, thanks to Labour governments, not least the Abela administration, Malta has the best economy among all EU member states and the lowest unemployment rate.

Shortly after the EP results were announced, Prime Minister Abela made it abundantly clear that change was in order – both within the Labour Party and his government. I have no reason to doubt that.

Abela is a resilient politician. He had to endure the catastrophic effects of COVID-19 that wreaked havoc across the globe and the devastating effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine. And, yet, he steered Malta through fierce storms and did so successfully.

He has another challenge now – ensuring a better quality of life for all.

People have high expectations from a Labour government, the hurdles are high, but not insurmountable.

Abela will succeed but this is not a one-man job. Labour activists, candidates, MPs and cabinet members, we must work in unison.

Self-pity will get us nowhere. Finger pointing is childish. An “I-told-you-so” attitude is a timewaster. People want Labour but they want a better version of it. Our responsibility, and sole focus, should be to deliver precisely that.

Together we shall succeed. We’ve been through worse times. Resilience is key. The people deserve better. They do not expect favours but rights and we must be sensitive to their realities.

We shall stand up to be counted. There are lessons to be learnt, bridges to be rebuilt. We must renew. There is no shame in that. And we will.

Marija Sara Vella Gafà is a lawyer and chairperson of the Labour Party’s Electoral Commission.