The main political parties are struggling to recruit candidates for the upcoming local elections, with many youngsters showing utter disinterest in taking on the job.

Senior sources close to the Labour and Nationalist parties said they were encountering serious demotivation and apathy towards councils, slated for June 2024.

Many were telling the parties that councils had been reduced to “customer care centres” for the central government and its entities, leaving them with no space to make any difference.

“We’re struggling. A significant number are saying they’re not interested in contesting the election. Everyone seems to be focused on working in their  field right now, with very little energy or inspiration,” one senior Labour source told Times of Malta.

“There is also widespread discontent with people who are clearly pigging out and only seeking to grab as much as they can while they can. They’re making hay while the sun shines. We can feel that people in the party who are not getting as much of the pie are becoming unhappier,” he added.

'No people who inspire in politics, on either side'

“There are no people who inspire in politics, on either side. When I was young, I remember university and places frequented by young people were teeming with political life and activism, but politics nowadays is hardly a subject of interest for most young people,” he said.

Another Labour source, who is heavily involved in the party’s structures, complained about “an element of dissent” that feels greater than usual. Sometimes, protest votes also come from candidates or people who are heavily involved in politics, not just from voters who decide to stay at home and not vote.

The same feeling was being felt at PN’s Dar Ċentrali, where many were not satisfied with the inroads the party was making. Although surveys were showing a narrowing of the gap with Labour, there was still an important chunk who were undecided and had almost given up on politics.

“We feel there is widespread political fatigue. People need a vision to aspire to and a leader to inspire them, and so far, none of the two leaders do that. Many in our party also feel that Bernard Grech leaves a lot to be desired,” he said.

But the disinterest also appears to be fuelled by the fact that local councils have been stripped of a lot of the work they used to do – roads, for instance, and now even rubbish collection. Even the simple task of changing a spent streetlamp is no longer the responsibility of councils, which have to chase Enemalta to get it replaced.

One PN councillor told Times of Malta, on condition of anonymity: “Councils are the residents’ first point of contact, and we usually end up becoming punching bags, with residents blaming us for things that are completely out of our control.

Although surveys were showing a narrowing of the gap with Labour, there was still an important chunk who were undecided and had almost given up on politics. File photo: Times of Malta

'I don't blame the younger generation for staying away'

“So I don’t blame the younger generation for staying away from local government because they’re no governments at all.”

Although the councillor said she was planning to recontest out of her trust in the party and the locality where she lived all her life, she too was on the brink of giving up.

“Sometimes when I get home after a long day, I say to myself ‘Is this worth it?’ Am I managing to change the things I want to see better in my locality? Most of the time the answer is ‘no’. But you persist, hoping that what you’re doing is for the common good,” she said.

Sources from both parties admitted there seemed to be far less motivation even at delegate and grassroots level.

Labour’s administration was surprised last month when it organised a meeting for delegates on Budget 2024 and barely 100 of them turned up, which is very unusual.

“People no longer feel they are part of something. During the Alfred Sant era, even though we lost one election after another, people would flock to party clubs and other hubs working and campaigning. There was way more enthusiasm,” a PL source said.

A senior source in the Labour Party said some people were selling themselves for too high a price.

“When they are approached to run for an election, they demand big favours or a top appointment, which is not always possible.”

All party sources expressed hope they would eventually manage to find enough candidates to field, even if ministers, backbenchers and opposition MPs are urged to convince people to stand for election.

Should not enough candidates be found, there will be no election and those fielded will be elected automatically. However, both parties are trying to avoid this, in the interest of democracy.

A PN source added: “If the election campaign is as weak as last year’s general election campaign, we fear turnout could plummet to some 60%.”