Robert Abela has categorically ruled out holding an early general election, quashing speculation that an election would be called even as early as this spring, two years before the legislative term is due to end.  

“The election will be held in 2027, at the right time and moment,” the prime minister said when questioned as he walked out of parliament on Monday.

The last general election was held in 2022 in that term's fifth year "and the plan is to do the same during this time,” Abela said.

The government, he added, had been handed the strongest-ever electoral mandate in 2022. 

“There is still a substantial amount of work that needs to be done in this term so we deliver our electoral promises.”

In recent weeks, speculation has surged that Abela may be leaning toward calling an early election due to party infighting and concerns about a potential further erosion of support in the months ahead.

Labour comfortably won the 2022 general election with a record 39,474 vote majority over the PN. The PL won 55.1% of the vote, the PN 41.7% and smaller parties 3.2%.

It was Abela’s first general election at the helm of the PL.

Labour’s lead was reduced substantially in the European Parliament elections last June, when no party won an absolute majority of votes.

The gap between the PN and the PL was 8,454 votes. By contrast, Labour won the previous MEP election in 2019 with a 42,000-vote majority.

The Nationalist Party last won an election in 2008, when it scraped back into government with a relative majority of 1,500 votes.