Updated 6.25pm

The next general election will not be held this year, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Monday. 

Abela put speculation about a snap 2021 election to bed on Monday afternoon, telling reporters that the country would not go to the polls until the next year. 

The Labour government's term runs until June 2022, but speculation about an early election had been mounting in recent months. 

Abela had previously dodged questions about the election date, insisting only that the election date would be based "on the national interest". 

He returned to that phrase on Monday, but expounded on his views. 

"I always said that one criterion will determine when an election will be held - that of the national interest. I do not think that it is in the national interest for an election to be held this year, and therefore it will take place in the year it is scheduled for, 2022," Abela said. 

Pressed to clarify further, the prime minister reiterated that point. 

"I believe I was very clear," he said. "The election will be held next year." 

The prime minister was speaking to reporters at a Ħal Far factory, where Seifert Systems announced plans to build an environmentally-friendly extension to their plant. 

Robert Abela answering journalists' questions on Monday, flanked by Economy Minister Silvio Schembri. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Business concerns 

Business leaders had expressed concern about a late November or early December election, fearing that a vote held at that point would disrupt what is normally a booming sale period thanks to Black Friday and Christmas. 

Local businesses had the traditionally strong period disrupted in 2019 due to national anti-corruption protests and again in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Opposition leader Bernard Grech has been pushing for clarity about the election date and on Sunday accused the prime minister of "mocking" people by not being clear about when an election will be held.

Speaking on Monday, Abela argued that it was Grech himself who had turned the election date into a national issue.

"We have an opposition which sees how to foment uncertainty whenever things are going well," he said. "I will not allow uncertainty to fester." 

Grech: 'PN will be ready'

Writing on social media, Grech responded to Abela ruling out a 2021 election by saying the prime minister had "irresponsibly waited til the last moment" before making his plans clear.

"Whenever the election comes, PN will be ready," he wrote. 

Several different polls suggest Labour currently enjoys a significant lead over the Nationalist Party, with Abela also far ahead of Grech when voters are asked who they would prefer as prime minister.

A Times of Malta poll held in August suggested that the incumbent PL enjoyed 53.8 per cent support, versus 44.9 per cent for the PN. 

Malta last went to the polls in June 2017, in a general election that saw Labour repeat its 2013 landslide.

Ħal Far factory investment

Abela was speaking at the end of a press conference during which Ħal Far-based Seifert Systems announced an €8 million extension to their factory. 

The extension is expected to be up and running by September 2022, with the company saying it will be equipped with new, energy-efficient machinery to help the firm cut its carbon footprint. 

It is expected to generate 100 new jobs. 

Seifert Systems was founded 50 years ago in Germany and is run by Michael Seifert, the founder's son. They specialise in air conditioning systems for industrial settings, with a focus on sectors such as the automation industry, telecoms, food processing and car manufacturing.

Abela said that the factory extension was a state-of-the-art project "that reflects the government’s vision towards a carbon-neutral country."

The prime minister was accompanied by Economy Minister Silvio Schembri and Energy and Enterprise Minister Miriam Dalli. 

CEO Michael Seifert said that the company faced challenges when it comes to staff recruitment, and urged the prime minister to continue to foster a climate that is good for business.