Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545159
3 maltatoday | MONDAY • 1 JUNE 2026 EDITORIAL ELECTION 2026 THE Labour Party won a clear mandate from the electorate to govern this country for the next five years. It was a history-making fourth consecutive victory achieved on the back of a narrative that championed continuity over change; a known pair of hands on the rudder than an untested captain. The electorate bought into the narrative and it clearly showed it was not ready to change course at this juncture. The wealth redistribution adopted by the Labour gov- ernment over the past years has left more money in people's pockets. People were also shielded from the high energy and fuel prices caused by various international crises, a sign of a government that cared. Free childcare, free Matsec exams, tax cuts, higher outlays on children's allowance and other social benefits, pension increases that surpassed the cost-of-living increase, and many other benefits directed towards differ- ent categories made people feel richer than they were prior to 2013. This does not mean that people were not bothered about the problems of Malta's eco- nomic success, including the negative im- pact on public infrastructure of a rapidly ex- panding foreign workforce. It does not mean traffic congestion is no longer a subject of concern, or that overcrowding at hospitals and lengthy delays for surgical appointments are not things that worry and anger people. It does not mean that rising house prices are not a headache for young people. Neither does it mean that stories of corruption, nep- otism and dubious multi-million-euro pro- jects are acceptable. What it means is that people were not con- fident enough that a change in government would have left them better off and that the problems that were bothering them would have been solved. In this sense they pre- ferred the devil they know, with all its warts and defects rather than the new guy prom- ising change but with a relatively unknown team around him. The electorate decided to give the PL an- other chance but the significantly reduced vote gap should serve as a humbling message to Robert Abela. The gap between the two major parties more than halved, a signal that many voters felt the need to look elsewhere, even if for some this was a protest vote and not necessarily a vote of conviction in the Nationalist Party. A definite yellow card has been shown and it would be a mistake to brush aside the significance of this reduction in the euphoria of victory. After a five-week campaign during which Abela's government unashamedly used its power of incumbency to the full—patients waiting for surgery suddenly received hos- pital appointments; broken residential roads were miraculously fixed overnight; special COVID-19 pay outs to port workers sudden- ly became available—the time has come for the PL to start governing again. We only hope the new Labour government is willing to curb the arrogance of those within it, who feel Malta owes them grati- tude. We hope the new government will not run roughshod over independent public in- stitutions. We hope it shows more respect towards journalists and critics. We hope it does not protect those in its fold who engage in wrongdoing. We hope it acts in the best public interest… all the time. Winning for a fourth consecutive time is not something to be discounted. It is a suc- cess. But it also puts great responsibility on the winning team to show it is deserving of the trust the electorate has placed in it. maltatoday MaltaToday, MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR: KURT SANSONE DEPUTY PRINT EDITOR: LAURA CALLEJA Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt The electorate decided to give the PL another chance but the significantly reduced vote gap should serve as a humbling message to Robert Abela Labour must now show it is deserving of the electorate's renewed trust Clyde and his calculator CLYDE Caruana was hoisted onto someone's shoulder holding a calculator in hand when the Labour Party's victory was announced inside the counting hall. In the midst of jubilation, the finance minister waved the cal- culator in what was a direct jab at the Nationalist Party over its electoral programme workings, which came under scrutiny. It was one of the cheekiest moments inside the counting hall and came after Caruana had posed for a photo with his direct rival Adrian Delia holding the very same calculator. In the same vein, Labour Party agents celebrated by throwing papers in the air, with an abacus printed on them to drive home the point that the PN needed to learn its maths. A gas fire in Labour's kitchen AS journalists waited for the arrival of Alex Borg at the counting hall, a gas fire broke out in the kitchen inside the canteen area reserved for Labour activists. "Gas, gas," a man shouted as he ran out of the Labour area fol- lowed by an exodus of other activists. Journalists and Nationalist agents waiting in the foyer were ushered outside into the parking area and a civil protection vessel was called in. The alarm only lasted a few minutes after it was ascertained that a fire broke out in one of the ovens but was quickly put out. Alex the affable ALEX Borg was graceful in defeat and when visiting the counting hall to thank his party agents, he also entered into the Labour can- teen to shake hands with his political rivals. He also visited the press room to thank journalists for their work before entering the counting area where he was greeted by party agents and candidates. Borg did a lot of handshaking and back pat- ting but his gesture to congratulate his rivals was a welcome twist.