[WATCH] Konrad Mizzi: ‘We are halfway towards Malta being at the very top’

Konrad Mizzi said that Malta is now halfway towards being “at the very top”, in his first comments to the press since Labour’s landslide election victory.

Mizzi said that he had passed through “several attacks for the past year and a half”, when he was implicated in the Panama Papers scandal last year as owning an offshore company.

“I paid a political price but I always told the truth,” he said.

Mizzi said that the result is proof that the people have responded positively to some of the Labour government’s key policies – such as reducing energy tariffs, closing the old power stations and introducing free childcare.

“We will now seek to improve pensions, build a world-class infrastructure, and improve social housing.”

He added that he sensed a signficiant “swing vote” in this election, with many traditional PN supporters switching their vote to the Labour Party “because they felt that they had more money in their pockets under the PL government”.

In a brief comment before Labour’s victory rally this afternoon, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat reiterated his call for national reconciliation.

“If anyone has reason to feel bitter, it is myself after suffering so many personal attacks, but I won’t go down that route,” he said. “I’m ready to work with everyone, from whichever party, to help the country progress.”

PL deputy leader Chris Cardona said that the result proves that the people has rejected “personal attacks and character assassinations” in favour of a government with a clear direction to improve their lives.

“This result is clear proof that Joseph Muscat is the person in whom the Maltese most see leadership quaities as a Prime Minister,” he said. “The government will continue with the same economic rhythm that we had picked up in the past four years. The economy can’t grow with only half the population on board, but with everyone who is genuinely interested in improving their country and their personal situations.”