VALLETTA — Voting has begun in Malta’s snap parliamentary election, which will determine who governs the country for the next five years. Polling stations opened on Saturday for the election, called a year ahead of schedule by Prime Minister Robert Abela.

The election is widely viewed as a contest between the governing Labour Party, led by Abela, and the centrist Nationalist Party under new leader Alex Borg. Opinion polls suggest the Labour Party is on course to win the snap election, which would secure it a fourth consecutive term in office.

Borg, who is 30 years old, hopes to unseat Labour and become Malta’s youngest-ever prime minister. The economy is a dominant issue in the election, with rising rents and ailing infrastructure being key voter concerns. Malta’s public health service is also under increasing pressure following a population surge.

Rising energy prices and inflation, caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, could weaken the Labour Party’s prospects despite current polling leads. The election was called against the backdrop of the Iran war, which is impacting global markets.

The election takes place under the shadow of the 2017 assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed by a car bomb after exposing corruption in Malta. A public inquiry concluded that the government was responsible for her death, although it found no evidence of direct involvement. The report stated the government had created an “atmosphere of impunity,” leading those who killed Caruana Galizia to believe they would face no consequences. The assassination ultimately led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

In June 2025, two men were sentenced to life imprisonment for supplying the car bomb that killed Caruana Galizia. Election results are expected to be announced at about midday on Sunday.