Surveys: Labour set to win with 23,000 to 45,000 vote difference

Feb 27 2022

Surveys issued by Times of Malta and MaltaToday indicate that the Labour Party is still in the lead, no matter the voter difference noted by the two different methodologies.

A survey commissioned by Times of Malta (TOM) has revealed that the Labour Party is set to win an election by around 44,500, even though a fifth of the electorate remains non-committal.

A total of 56.2% of the electorate would vote Labour whereas 42.4% prefer the Nationalist Party. Around 1.4% claim they will vote for smaller parties, according to this survey.

This gap is around 3% higher for the PL over the victory it achieved back in the 2017 election. Around 21% of respondents did not say who they would vote for, down from 27%.

Looking at the first survey of the electoral campaign commissioned by MaltaToday, an election now would see the Labour Party win with an advantage of around 23,000 votes at 52.5%.

The PN’s support stands at around 44.9%, with that of other small parties standing collectively at 2.6%. According to this survey, Robert Abela’s trust rating continued to decline, standing at 41.9%.

Bernard Grech however did not fill in any point lost by Abela as his rating too dropped, standing at 29%. Despite this, the Times of Malta survey shows that Abela still enjoys the rating of most preferred leader within his party and the electoral race as a whole.

The TOM survey indicated that younger voters lean more towards Abela, with 60% of those aged 16 to 24 preferring the current prime minister. Around 55% say that PL should stay in government whereas 33% think they should be shown the door.

Despite the different methodologies applied, it does seem that both surveys indicate another win for the Labour Party. However, the electoral campaigns are just kicking off in full gear and we’ll have to wait for the 26th of March to see.

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Triton Fountain among landmarks to light up in support of Ukraine

Feb 27 2022

On Saturday evening, the Triton Fountain in Valletta was lit up in Ukrainian colours blue & yellow in support of Ukraine.

The Maltese landmark’s new colours come as a show of solidarity to Ukraine, which has been facing a Russian invasion in recent days. Throughout the past week, many monuments across the world were lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag to support the country and its people during such a delicate time.

The Eiffel Tower is lit up in blue and yellow, the colours of the Ukrainian flag, in support of the Ukrainian people after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Paris, France, February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Photo Source: Reuters

Amongst them, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Empire State Building in New York and the London Eye in London.

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16-year-olds should be allowed to contest general elections says Prime Minister

Feb 26 2022

Prime Minister Robert Abela expressed his opinion that 16-year-olds should be allowed to contest the general election apart from having the right to vote.

Abela made this idea public twice yesterday, first at a political rally and then later during the Labour Youth’s campaign launch in Isla.

‘It is illogical to have 16-year-olds vote, but not contest. It is the people who should decide, and in the coming legislature we need to discuss the topic’ he said.

He went on to state how the Labour government introduced the legislation which allowed 16-year-olds to vote because it believes in the power of young people. Abela highlighted the topic as being one of the biggest discussions to be had in the coming legislature.

Labour Youths President Georvin Bugeja also went on to call on young people to contribute to the party’s campaign, saying that the party and the group believe in the skills and talents of the youth to make a difference.

Bugeja said that the youth’s wing campaign will be giving young people the space to debate and present their ideas, thanking the prime minister for the opportunity.

Currently, the youngest candidate to ever contest the general election is Eve Borg Bonello, who forms part of the Nationalist Party’s ranks.

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Photo Source: Żgħażagħ Laburisti FB

Stipend: PL propose 15% increase and PN 25% surge to attract the youth

Feb 26 2022

As election campaigns roll towards the second week since the March election was announced, both major political parties have identified the youth as being a key factor in their chances at being elected.

Both parties have emphasised the raising of stipend, with the Labour Party pledging a 15% increase and the Opposition a 25% increase to student stipend.

Prime Minister Robert Abela announced the stipend raise yesterday during a political rally when replying to a question by an MCAST student. The Prime Minister called the youth the leaders of today and the future, and pledged to help them continue their education through stipend incentives.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Party also sought to raise the stipend bar, pledging to raise the student’s income scheme by 25%.

The proposal accompanies the €1 billion investment into creating 10 new sectors, with many of these new areas of investment being sectors driven by the youth abroad. These include everything from sports to the metaverse and AI technology.

Malta’s youth occupied an important place in both parties’ electoral campaigns as the contesting leaders continuously emphasise the necessity of investing in their future.

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