Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1522634
10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 JUNE 2024 NEWS PL wins by 20,000 votes but its decline CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 After the 8 June election, the local councils map is bluer to- day than it has ever been in the past 15 years after the PN won majorities in localities across central and northern Malta. The overall result still sees the PN trailing the PL by around 20,000 votes but with the gap slashed by more than half, it leaves the PN hopeful that come the general election it could be a worthy competitor. In ordinary circumstances, the PL's performance in local councils would be hailed as a major victory - it did obtain 52.1% of the overall vote after all. But these are no ordinary circumstances. The PL has enjoyed super- majorities surpassing the 30,000-vote gap for more than a decade and in the 2019 local council elections it beat the PN by a whopping 47,000 votes. But after enjoying another em- phatic victory in the 2022 gen- eral election the PL's decline has been sudden and dramatic. As much as the result leaves the PN hopeful it serves as a warning light for the PL. Rob- ert Abela's party cannot take its super majorities for grant- ed and the movement of voters towards the PN and independ- ent candidates means there is now a larger cohort of people willing to listen to what others have to say. Gozo turns blue The MaltaToday analysis, which grouped local council re- sults according to the electoral district in which the locality falls, shows that the PL enjoys an absolute majority in the first six districts. In the 7th District, which includes, Żebbuġ, the PL enjoys a relative majority after a strong showing by independ- ent candidates. The PN enjoys absolute ma- jorities in all districts between the 8th and 13th. The major difference with 2019 is that the PN managed to flip Gozo in its favour, ob- taining 50.6% this year against the PL's 46.1%. Five years ago, local elections saw the PL win Gozo with 50.4%, a trend that was later confirmed in the 2022 general election, when it went on to win the 13th District with 53.5%. In Saturday's local elections the PN managed to flip Żebbuġ (Gozo) in its favour, while the PL suffered significant losses in Qala despite winning a ma- jority. The PL's poor performance in Gozo is likely to come un- der the spotlight within party circles, especially since the dis- trict is represented in Cabinet by no less than three ministers – Clint Camilleri, Anton Refalo and Jo Etienne Abela. PL loses ground everywhere However, the analysis al- so shows that the PL suffered losses in all districts, some sig- nificantly heavier than others. The PL's heaviest losses were in the 7th District, where it lost 9.9 points over 2019, followed by the 8th District, which in- cludes Birkirkara, where it shed 9.2 points. The PL's third highest de- crease was registered in the 3rd District, which includes Marsaskala, where it saw its share of the vote decline by 7.3 points. The PL was least dam- aged in the 2nd District, which includes its hotbed of Cottonera, where its vote declined by 1.6 points, and the 1st District, which includes Valletta, where it lost 2.4 points. The PL's highest score was obtained in the 2 District, where it polled 75.2%, fol- lowed by the 3rd and 4th dis- tricts, where it scored 70.4% and 70.1% respectively. Its worst score was in the 10th District, a PN strong- hold, where it polled 33.4%, followed by 36.4% in the 11th District. PN gains everywhere Not all of Labour's losses went to the PN, which is a sign that voters are not yet convinced that the Opposition is a gov- ernment in waiting. However, the PN has cause for hope since it registered improvements across all districts. The PN's strongest gains were in the 11th District, which in- cludes Mosta that it managed to flip. In this district, the PN saw its share of the vote in- crease by 6.5 points. The second highest gains were registered in the 9th Dis- trict, where the PN vote in- creased by 6.1 points. This dis- trict includes the localities of 2019 2024 Maps show councils based on majority of seats not votes