PL calls congress, indicating imminent general election announcement

The Labour Party has called its national congress, indicating that a general election is likely to be called soon.

Beginning on Sunday and lasting until Friday, the congress is being held under the banner “Malta Aqwa” (a stronger Malta), a phrase Robert Abela has repeatedly used in recent speeches.

The PL publicly revealed the congress via a banner that was posted on Facebook earlier on Wednesday to promote a discussion in a Gozo hotel. It included the words 'Kungress 2026' in small print on the top right. 

Under the party’s statute, the congress can meet for three reasons. It can be called to elect the party’s leader, “before a general election to discuss the political guidelines of the party” or the executive committee can also call a congress on its own initiative.

Sources confirmed that the congress is being called for electoral reasons, meaning that a general election is expected to be called soon.

“The statute does not give a timeline for how soon before the general election the congress needs to happen, but this is a major signal that it is on,” PL sources told Times of Malta.

According to Maltese law, Prime Minister Robert Abela can call a general election whenever he wishes, but there must be a minimum of 33 days between parliament’s dissolution and voting day.

Times of Malta reported a month ago that the Labour Party’s strategy team had been meeting regularly to prepare the party for the possibility of a snap election.

Speculation on whether and when Abela will call it has been steadily increasing.

Several within the government’s camp have pointed out that Abela is increasingly “flirting” with the public over the announcement, pointing to a recent press conference that included the entire Cabinet.

Abela also left people on edge during his Freedom Day address on March 30, as he spoke of the government’s need for the people’s “support” on two occasions but did not pull the electoral trigger.

“We worked so hard for others to again impose their politics of prejudice and austerity; that is why we need the people’s support,” Abela said, as the seated crowd of ministers and party officials stood and clapped.

People at the event described a sense of anticipation as he said those words.

One PL official said: “Realistically, Abela would never have called it [the election] in Holy Week, but for a moment you could feel the square quieten down to see if he was actually going to do it.”

“He’s definitely flirting with the date,” he said, while another added: “At one point, I was sure he was about to call it.”