Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544723
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 MAY 2026 NEWS ELECTION 2026 CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Marmara's results are based on a turnout of 80%, which means that for the PN, convincing those who do not want to vote remains crucial. A worrying overconfidence The canvasser admitted his con- fidence in Labour's victory was boosted in the first week of the campaign by what he described as the Nationalist Party's slow start. "They seem disorganised and un- prepared," the canvasser said. The same sentiment was ex- pressed by another canvasser for a different minister, who insisted there was no comparison between the PL's campaign and the PN's. But this overconfidence has par- ty strategists worried. "My con- cern is that some MPs and their canvassers are too confident of victory and that sentiment gets transmitted down to ordinary voters, making it even harder to convince past PL voters, who do not want to vote, to actually go out and vote," a senior party func- tionary, speaking on condition of anonymity, told MaltaToday. He acknowledged the PN's cam- paign did not get off to a good start but noted that Alex Borg's performance during the Workers' Day rally in Lija was good. "When the competition appears absent from the race as the PN was in the first three days it cre- ates overconfidence, which breeds complacency, and that is some- thing the PL cannot afford even if all polls are putting it ahead," the functionary said. Indeed, on Friday, during the Workers' Day mass meeting at Castille Square in Valletta, Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg empha- sised the PL was the "underdog" in the election because it will be ask- ing people to trust it for a fourth consecutive term—a historical re- cord if it does happen. "We need to work with humility," Borg cau- tioned. A slow start The feeling that the PN did not hit the ground running is not mis- placed, although by Friday the campaign did gain traction and the party looked organised in Lija. On the first day of the campaign the PN did not unveil proposals, giving the PL a field day to set the agenda with its person-centric proposals targeting a range of in- terest groups—parents, parents- to-be, young people, first-time property buyers, families wanting to buy their second home, pen- sioners, disabled persons and their families. On Wednesday, the second day of the campaign, PN leader Alex Borg went AWOL on journalists when he visited a maritime school without inviting the media. It was only in the evening that Borg then unveiled the party's first set of proposals targeting the health sec- tor—new hospitals in Gozo and north of Malta, extension to Mater Dei and expansion of Paola Hub into a hospital, all cancer medi- cation provided free on national health service, stipends raised to minimum wage for healthcare students, and a smart watch grant. The PN continued emphasis- ing its health-related proposals throughout the week, culminating on Friday with a proposal to site a national health park at Selmun Palace. The PN's approach to the cam- paign has left some inside Labour questioning whether this is stra- tegic and intended as a contrast to the PL's polished, expensive campaign, or the result of unpre- paredness. "It's probably a bit of both," a source close to the PN told Malta- Today. "The party appears to have been caught unprepared despite the general feeling that an election was around the corner, but the raw appeal may be a positive un- intended consequence." Underdogs and hope Nonetheless, in its Friday Work- ers' Day rally in Lija, the PN ap- peared more organised than it has ever been with a relatively young and energetic crowd up front, wearing t-shirts with the cam- paign slogan, Nifs Ġdid (A Fresh Start) and holding cards with the strapline Alex 2026. The campaign also included a bus bedecked with the repurposed PN emblem, reminiscent of the 1996 Labour campaign bus Ċitta- din Mobile. In his speech, Alex Borg repeat- edly emphasised the party was prepared and insisted the PN was the "underdog" in the race. Pre-empting the Marmara sur- vey, he urged supporters not to be disheartened by poll results and asked them to each convince one other person to vote PN. Borg's demeanour projected hope. The PN's resilience will be tested harder by a more polished Labour campaign as the days and weeks roll forward towards election day on 30 May. Meanwhile, uncommitted voters will be watching, dissecting and evaluating both campaigns, wait- ing to be convinced whether they will vote, and if yes, who to trust. Overconfidence, hope and non-voters Labour and Nationalist supporters at the respective gatherings in Valletta and Lija (Photos: James Bianchi & Daniel Tihn/ MaltaToday)