Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544723
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 MAY 2026 ANALYSIS ELECTION 2026 nificantly, with Adrian Delia stating they would be "so low you won't need subsidies". • Maritime sector: Specif- ic maritime-related courses for secondary students and a reform of Transport Malta by splitting its three directo- rates—land, maritime, air—in- to three different authorities. The PN has struggled to strike a balance between com- peting with Labour on targeted spending for key demograph- ics—sometimes outspending it, as in the proposal to raise sti- pends by 25% (compared to La- bour's more modest 15%)—and projecting an image of greater responsibility and vision. In the first week of campaign- ing, the party has focused more heavily on healthcare, partly education, and long-term hu- man capital investment. These include plans for new hospitals in the north of Malta and Gozo, the expansion of Mater Dei, and the development of the Paola Hub into a full hospital. The party has also pledged free cancer medication, higher healthcare stipends, tax incen- tives to attract returning pro- fessionals, and the introduc- tion of maritime education in secondary schools. One mark of distinction is the PN's emphasis on mental health reform with a shift to- wards community-based care replacing institutional reliance at Mount Carmel Hospital. But the proposal falls short of any tangible proposal aimed at in- tegrating psychological thera- py for everyone in the national health scheme. In education, the PN proposes a 25% stipend increase across the board, with healthcare sti- pends raised to minimum wage levels. The latter is intended to boost the healthcare workforce in the hope of reducing reli- ance on foreign nurses, doctors and carers. But with the PN's vision of expanding the num- ber of general hospitals, it is very likely that the demand for more healthcare workers will still have to be fulfilled by im- porting foreigners, irrespective of how many Maltese students are enticed to take up health- care-related studies. On energy, it promises lower prices through efficiency gains rather than subsidies, though so far, the mechanism remains largely unspecified. The ref- erence to energy was a reply Adrian Delia gave to a journal- ist's question and it is expected the PN will present a more ho- listic energy plan in the coming weeks. When it comes to costings, the PN has valued the expan- sion of hospital infrastructure, which represents the largest capital commitment, at more than €700 million. And with Alex Borg committing to have the hospitals operational by the end of the legislature that is a whopping capital expense to make on just one sector in five years. The PN's promise of lower energy prices through efficiency gains and alternative energy investment still needs to be fully presented. OTHER PARTIES Momentum • Minimum wage increase: Raise the national minimum wage to €360 per week, a €139 weekly increase from current levels, to align with the "decent living wage" identified by Cari- tas. • Vacant property tax: In- troduce a tax on second and subsequent vacant residential properties. Primary residences, Voters lured by higher stipends, smart watch PL supporters at Castille Square for the election campaign's first mass meeting The prime minister exited from Castille to address the Labour Party mass meeting, making no distinction between the office of state and the party event (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) An intrepid entrepreneur selling mugs with the portraits of Robert Abela and Lydia Abela on the fringes of the PL mass meeting (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) < CONTINUES FROM PREVIOUS PAGE