Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545107
PRIME Minister Robert Abela warned Gozitans to "not let others decide" for them, as he addressed a mass rally at Rabat, Gozo. "They said they have already won Gozo, they said they have already painted Gozo blue. Do not let others decide for you," Abela said at the bell- wether district which is also Nation- alist Party leader Alex's Borg's home district. The Labour leader was addressing supporters during the party last offi- cial event at the island, as Malta heads to the polls on Saturday. The Labour Party is the "natural home" for the people of Gozo, Abela said on Wednesday. He said the Labour movement want- ed the island to become "the engine of new prosperity", insisting ideas emerging from Gozo would help shape the country's future. In his opening remarks, Robert Ab- ela declared that "gone are the times of cobwebs, gone are the times when others tried to control our thoughts". He made reference to when former prime minister and Labour leader Dom Mintoff was prevented from ad- dressing the crowd after church bells were rung during his speech in the 1960s. "We have Gozo in our hearts, and we have a vision for the island," he said. "We worked for you, and shielded you as best we can." Abela said under a Labour govern- ment, Gozo had continued to trans- form, noting the Gozitan economy had surged under his administration. He said the largest sources of growth came from the professional, digital and financial services sectors. The prime minister said Gozo re- mained a priority for the Labour Party, pointing to the establishment of the Gozo Regional Development Author- ity and the launch of the "Gozo: Island of Villages" strategy. He said this strategy inspired the party's "Int Malta" manifesto, which focuses on what he described as "new prosperity" centred on wellbe- ing alongside continued economic growth. "Now that we have reached prosper- ity, we need a new kind of prosperity," Abela said, adding that while the econ- omy would continue to grow, the gov- ernment would place greater emphasis on quality of ldife and wellbeing. Robert Abela also pledged continued support for families and workers. Turning to Gozo-specific proposals, Abela described the "Int Malta" pro- gramme as Labour's largest ever man- ifesto for the island, containing 100 measures. "All these ideas came from the peo- ple of Gozo, ideas that the Labour Par- ty believed in," Abela said. "Malta and Gozo come first and be- fore everything else. The Labour Party is your natural home, the home of the Gozitan people. Join us again so that we can take Gozo to the next level. To have a stronger Gozo, to be with you every step of the way. Because your dream is our project," he said. Former Labour president and deputy leader Daniel Micallef addressed the crowd ahead of Abela. 12 maltatoday | THURSDAY • 28 MAY 2026 NEWS Abela warns Gozitans Nationalists have already made Gozo theirs Prime Minister Robert Abela tells Gozitan Labour supporters not to let others decide for them at mass rally in Rabat Borg asks: 'Who is the prime minister; Abela or Caruana?' Prime Minister Robert Abela KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt NATIONALIST Party leader Alex Borg ac- cused the government of attempting to conceal Malta's growing national debt during a political activity held in Naxxar on Wednesday. Addressing supporters during what he de- scribed as the final activity of the electoral campaign, Borg claimed the National Statistics Office had refrained from publishing updat- ed debt figures under the direction of Finance Minister Clyde Caruana. "This has never been done before," Borg said, referring to the absence of updated debt statistics ahead of the election period. He noted that debt figures had still been published during the 2022 election campaign. Borg alleged that the government's borrow- ing had continued to increase sharply, claiming Malta's debt now stands at around €12 billion. The statistics published by the European Cen- tral Bank further revealed that the government had borrowed €1 billion between March and April 2026 alone. "This is why it is obvious the NSO wants to hide the statistics," Borg said. When speaking to MaltaToday, NSO Director General Etienne Caruana insisted it would have been "inappropriate to publish official statistics at a time when policymakers would not be in a position to react to the information we publish in a timely and meaningful manner," directly reffering to reflection day. Borg also took aim at Prime Minister Robert Abela, accusing the government of lacking trans- parency and direction. "I confuse who the Prime Minister is — Clyde or Robert," he remarked, while criticising the government for failing to confirm the costings behind its proposals. Borg said the PN had presented a clear transport plan and insisted that the country needs "a govern- ment that delivers on what it promises". No Maghtab incinerator Environmental and planning proposals were outlined, with Borg pledging that a PN govern- ment would halt plans for a waste incinerator near Naxxar. "We need to make a commitment that others have failed to keep, an incinerator will not be built near Naxxar," he said. Borg criticised the Labour Party's proposal to build an incinerator for domestic waste, arguing that the project would negatively impact pub- lic health and air quality. Instead, he proposed a "Waste-to-Product" model focused on waste separation, advanced recycling, and material re- covery. According to Borg, the model would reduce emissions, improve air quality, and strengthen Malta's ability to attract European funding. Reporting by Jade Bezzina Opposition leader Alex Borg displaying the statistics published by the European Central Bank