VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced he will ask the President to dissolve Parliament immediately, setting the stage for a snap general election on Saturday, 30 May.
The decision, confirmed on Monday evening, ends weeks of speculation over an early election and sends voters to the polls nearly a year ahead of schedule. Abela is expected to formally request the dissolution of Parliament in the coming hours.
The move echoes the 2017 snap election, when then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat sought a fresh mandate amid political turmoil and went on to secure a decisive victory.
Abela will aim to maintain the strong parliamentary majority he won in the March 2022 election, when the Labour Party secured 55.9% of the vote against the Nationalist Party’s 41.7%, translating into a margin of around 41,600 votes.
However, that election also recorded the lowest voter turnout since independence, with participation dropping to 85.5%, raising concerns about voter engagement.
The current legislature was not due to expire until May 2027, giving Abela the option to wait another year before calling an election. Government sources, however, suggest that delaying could have posed greater risks, citing a more energised opposition, ongoing court cases involving former officials, and economic uncertainty linked to international conflicts.
By calling an early vote, Abela has effectively shortened the parliamentary term and initiated a five-week campaign period expected to dominate the political landscape in the coming weeks.
Parliament is set to be formally dissolved within days, officially triggering the election process.
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(ITALPRESS).
