Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1530881
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 DECEMBER 2024 JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt 2024 LOOKING BACK The end of Labour's supermajority THE sight of Labour agents celebrating in the Naxxar counting hall, even as clear signs emerged that the elusive supermajority was slipping away, stands as one of the most striking moments of 2024. Whether these agents were putting on a brave face to send an uplifting message to party supporters waiting at home for the signal to go carcading, or whether they were misled into believing their party had once again won by a wide margin, remains unclear. While party officials were telling enquiring journalists that the fabled supermajority had at least been halved, ru- mours were already circulat- ing in the counting hall that Labour had won by 30,000 votes – a result that would have crushed the Opposition's hopes and solidified Labour's invincibility. Moreover, surveys conduct- ed during the MEP election campaign, including Malt- aToday's, failed to capture the scale of Labour's decline. They had predicted a gap of over 20,000 votes, but Labour ultimately won by just 8,500 votes, down from 39,000 in 2022. For the first time since 2008, no party had won an ab- solute majority, with Labour's support dropping from 55% to 45%. It was no surprise, there- fore, that despite losing the election and remaining stuck at 42%, PN agents also joined in the celebrations. Despite failing to gain ground, the MEP elections suggested that the PN could still win by de- fault, thanks to lower turnout among Labour voters and de- fections to third parties and independents. A chronicle of decline fore- told Despite failing to predict the outcome during the MEP election campaign, Malta- Today surveys had picked up on this negative trend for La- Labour's hold on power weakened in 2023 as its supermajority shrank, with the MEP elections revealing cracks in its coalition. While Prime Minister Robert Abela struggles to balance die-hard loyalists with moderates, the PN sees an opportunity to win by default, amid growing voter disillusionment and shifting alliances