Malta votes in snap election, economy and infrastructure key concerns

Malta is holding snap parliamentary elections, with voters heading to the polls on Saturday to decide the nation's leadership for the next five years. The economy, marked by rising rents and deteriorating infrastructure, is the dominant issue. Prime Minister Robert Abela of the governing Labour Party called the election a year ahead of schedule, reportedly concerned that global economic instability, including rising energy prices and inflation, could jeopardize his party's bid for a record-breaking fourth consecutive term.

The Labour Party has dominated Malta's political landscape for the past decade, and current opinion polls suggest they are on track for another victory. However, the centrist Nationalist Party, under its new leader Alex Borg, is aiming to unseat Labour. Borg, at 30, hopes to become Malta's youngest prime minister.

The election unfolds against the somber backdrop of the 2017 assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Her work exposing corruption led to the resignation of a former prime minister. A public inquiry found the government responsible for creating an "atmosphere of impunity" that contributed to her death, though it found no direct involvement. Two men were recently sentenced to life imprisonment for their role in the car bombing that killed her.

Election results are anticipated by midday on Sunday. The nation, already the European Union's smallest and most densely populated country, also faces pressure on its public health service due to a population surge.

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The government had created an “atmosphere of impunity”, leading those who killed Caruana Galizia to believe they would face no consequences for their actions.