VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Senior socialist leaders from around the world convened in Malta this weekend as the country hosted the latest Council meeting of Socialist International.
Prime Minister Robert Abela opened the gathering by pitching Malta’s economic and social reforms as a model for centre-left parties seeking election-winning credibility and broad appeal.
“Elections are won or lost on the economy,” Abela told delegates, highlighting Malta’s performance and the €420 million package in the 2026 Budget, including tax cuts for parents, expanded social measures, business incentives and investment in artificial intelligence.
He cited free childcare, free public transport and pension tax reform as examples of policies that embody “social justice, opportunity and dignity at work”.
Warning against “sectional politics”, Abela urged socialist parties to build majorities rather than retreat into narrow constituencies. Standing alongside Spanish Prime Minister and Socialist International president Pedro Sanchez, he said Malta and Spain show that “progressive economics work”.
Abela also framed Malta’s foreign policy as active neutrality, recalling the country’s recent UN Security Council term and its recognition of Palestinian statehood. “Neutrality means we are partisan for peace,” he said.
The prime minister pointed to Labour’s record on civil liberties — including marriage equality and the ban on conversion practices — as proof that progressive politics can be translated into national priorities.
Delegates from Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East are attending the Malta summit, themed “Leading Together”. The Council is expected to adopt resolutions on democracy, peace and equality before closing on Sunday.
Malta’s Labour Party, which rejoined Socialist International in January after years of absence, is also hosting bilateral meetings on the summit’s fringes. The event will conclude with the presentation of the Peña Gómez Award.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
