Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542275
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 DECEMBER 2025 LOOKING BACK 2025 balancing acts and hyperbole political direction and managing the side effects of growth, Labour is now boiling in its own contradictions as judicial consideration, among other reforms that were largely welcomed. Although NGOs, the Op- position and the Chamber of Advocates raised alarm, pub- lic outrage never reached the scale seen over planning. Abela eventually got his way. In 2025, it became clear that on governance, Abela low- ered expectations to the point where he no longer operates with a clear yardstick for ac- countability. Ministerial resig- nations appear dictated more by the intensity of public pres- sure than by principle. Just as 2024 ended with then Tour- ism Minister Clayton Bartolo's forced resignation over alleged wrongdoing involving his wife, Abela has resisted mounting pressure to axe Housing Minis- ter Roderick Galdes over prop- erty dealings with major devel- opers. This time around, Abela has stood by Galdes despite the case unnerving many within the Labour Party. The risk of hyperbole Meanwhile, Abela described Budget 2026 as "one of the most ambitious and socially focused in Malta's history," promising peace of mind "when you start a family, when you raise chil- dren, and when you grow old- er." In many respects, the claim was justified. But branding it the "best ever" raised expecta- tions no realistic budget could satisfy. The budget delivered tangible relief—tax cuts, pension in- creases, higher student grants and expanded social allowanc- es. Yet public sentiment re- mained muted. A MaltaToday survey on the budget found that 40.5% felt the budget left them in the same position they were before, while 30% felt bet- ter off, and 9.1% worse off. Playing with fire In 2025, Abela also appears to have embarked on the full re- habilitation of Joseph Muscat. This is most likely a strategy of internal containment. Mus- cat's increased visibility—in- cluding an interview on ONE TV—may have bought Abela temporary peace with loyalists. But his handling of Neville Ga- fa showed the risks of this ap- proach. Gafa's brief return to the OPM, followed by his removal after backlash over the clearing of flowers from Daphne Caru- ana Galizia's memorial, illus- trated Abela's method: Deploy controversial figures until they become liabilities, then retreat. The pattern repeated itself elsewhere. Keith Schembri's claim on a podcast that he was "helping Robert" win the next election forced Abela to clari- fy the nature of their contact. He also had to distance himself from Jason Micallef's threat to sue Trudy Kerr over criticism linked to the Ta' Qali gravel fiasco. Once again, Abela was left firefighting dramas gener- ated by Muscat-era actors. Foreign policy confusion Abela's foreign policy in 2025 was marked by sharp contra- dictions and a balancing act between EU commitments and paying lip service to neutrality. Early in the year, he declared that "Ukraine is not going to win this war" and questioned the utility of sending weap- ons, yet still backed an €800 billion EU defence-spending plan to "re-arm Europe." He later changed tune on Ukraine, offering Malta's full support within the parameters of neu- trality. On the Middle East, he sup- ported Malta's recognition of Palestine, but only took the step after sustained pressure, and avoided joining Spain or Ireland in sharper criticism of Israel. His response to the drone attack on a Freedom Flo- tilla vessel near Malta—deny- ing entry, refusing to condemn Israel and insisting on cargo inspections—suggested defer- ence to Israel and the USA. In March 2025, Robert Abe- la publicly suggested reform- ing the "outdated" European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)—the main human rights treaty in Europe—when Malta assumed the presiden- cy of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers. The proposal was never part of Malta's official programme. Eventually, Malta attempted no such reform of the convention during its presidency. From Abela's warning to Eu- rope that it should not be "al- lergic to Donald Trump," to Ian Borg's nomination of the US president for a Nobel Peace Prize, Malta's diplomatic pos- turing muddied the waters at a time when the EU itself started dealing with existential attacks from Trump. Side effects of the economic model Apart from the planning quandary, Abela struggled with reforms aimed at addressing the side effects of Malta's eco- nomic model. Transport policy remained tentative. Metro proposals re- surfaced despite Finance Min- istry warnings over fiscal risk. This may yet become Abela's legacy project but opting for a metro allows him to defer dif- ficult decisions on curbing car use. Labour migration policy was handled more coherently in 2025 with the introduction of 32 new measures, including stricter employer vetting, man- datory local and EU advertis- ing of vacancies, compulsory bank-transfer salaries, and a rebalancing of permit fees to retain experienced workers. The reforms acknowledged Malta's need of foreign labour while attempting to curb abuse. Yet Abela himself lapsed into questionable rhetoric when he attacked an Opposition pro- posal to entrench environmen- tal rights in the Constitution by invoking the risk of foreign- ers using the legal instrument to attack aspects of Maltese culture such as fireworks and church bells. It was a moment that be- trayed prejudice rather than leadership. On social reforms, Abela abandoned his predecessor's appetite for major liberal initi- atives. Even on euthanasia, he appears unwilling to expend political capital while showing little enthusiasm for reopening debates on abortion or advanc- ing the stalled Equality Bill. Instead, Abela has pivoted to another balancing act—cast- ing Labour as a defender of tradition, hobbies and cultural symbols, appealing to a more conservative electorate in an increasingly cosmopolitan Malta. This reflects awareness of a global rightward drift, but it also risks alienating those who saw Labour's modernising mission as a factor that coun- terbalanced concerns over en- vironmental degradation and corruption. Election timing Just before the summer, Ab- ela hinted at an early election should the PN change leader. After the PN elected Alex Borg, speculation grew that 2026 might see an early contest. But recently, Abela was categorical: The election will take place in 2027. Despite the contradictions, Abela remains 10 points ahead of Borg as the most trusted leader to run the country. Labour's narrower advantage in voting intention suggests that Abela himself remains an asset for his party. That cushion, however, is not inexhaustible. If Abela intends to serve the full legislature, he will need strategic clarity more than ever. By postponing controversial decisions—especially on plan- ning—he risks dragging his government into another cycle of unrest which could further weaken his grip on the elector- ate. The prime minister flanked by Ian Borg and Clyde Caruana at a post- budget press conference inside Castille (Photo: DOI) In 2025, it became clear that on governance, Abela lowered expectations to the point where he no longer operates with a clear yardstick for accountability.