Unfinished business: What a spring election could leave behind

Prime Minister Robert Abela speaks as if a general election is round the corner and yet, while his words tease, they stop short of calling the date.

Meanwhile, election candidates are in full swing printing leaflets; ministers sprucing up their constituency offices; and billboard companies preparing the ground work for what feels is an imminent appointment.

Abela has all the time from Easter Monday until 1 May to make up his mind, if the election is to be held anywhere between now and the first week of June. If this period lapses, the next plausible appointment will, in all likeliness, be March 2027—the natural end of this administration and one that allows the people to savour the benefits of government’s final budget in October this year.

But if an election is held now, several bills, decisions and plans will be left in abeyance for a new administration to pick up, if at all. Pending legislation on two contentious reforms—the planning bills and the media reform bills—will expire when an election is called, effectively obliging the next government to re-table them, if they remain a priority.

MaltaToday took a look at the more salient unfinished business if a spring election is in the offing.

PLANNING REFORM BILLS

Two planning bills tabled before last summer remain in limbo. Bill 143 would have given planning boards broad powers to override local plans, change zoning, and increase building heights, among other significant changes to the planning process. Bill 144 would have introduced the suspension of works pending the outcome of all appeal processes but would also have limited judicial oversight by making the politically-appointed Environment and Planning Review Tribunal’s findings final. Apart from these two bills, government had also tabled legal notices to introduce building amnesties of sorts for past sins.

The legislation sparked widespread opposition from NGOs, residents, and some Labour supporters and officials. Prime Minister Robert Abela has expressed willingness to compromise, but no agreement has been reached yet. Meanwhile, permits for completed developments continue to be revoked simply because works continue to be allowed during appeals.

Abela has repeatedly denied accusations of deliberately delaying the reform ahead of an election. He also insisted that “there’s no need to rush this process” and promised that the planning reforms would not move forward in parliament without proper consultation with environmental NGOs, stressing that “there were no commitments or deadlines with anyone”.

Calling an election now would effectively mean the bills expire, indirectly fulfilling the NGO demand for their withdrawal. The question is will they be revived after the general election, and if so, in what shape or form?

MEDIA REFORM BILLS

The media reform remains in legislative limbo, with the three core bills (Bills 17, 18 and 19) still pending since they were first tabled in parliament in October 2022, following the work carried out by a government-appointed media experts committee. Effectively, the government had taken on board the majority of suggestions put forward by the committee but left out the more crucial aspects that would have guaranteed greater media freedom. Following criticism, the government finally conducted a formal public consultation from 1 August 2025 to October 2025. No amendments to the pending bills were proposed since and the parliamentary process remains frozen with the government still evaluating the feedback. Meanwhile, the government transposed through legal notice, the European Anti-SLAPP directive but rejected suggestions that would have strengthened it.

The IĠM (Institute of Maltese Journalists) has remained critical, labelling the proposed protections as “weak” and “disappointing” while demanding that journalism be constitutionally recognised as the fourth pillar of democracy.

Although not a major concern for the public, the slow pace adopted by the government on this reform casts a shadow on the Labour administration’s priorities in upholding media freedoms. If an election is called now, the bills before parliament will expire and it will be up to a new government to restart the process afresh.

PARENT TAX CUTS

Calling a spring election means parents head to the polls having received only the first tranche of the three-year tax relief plan initiated in the last budget. On the other hand, if the election is held in March next year, parents would be reaping the benefits of the second tranche of tax relief due in January 2027. The third and final tranche would post-date the next election whenever it happens.

This means that while families benefit from an initial average saving of €800 per parent—part of a projected €2,400 total over three years—they would not see these savings double as planned for the second phase before voting. 

Instead, they will be presented with an already approved budgetary commitment.  Government would probably tie these commitments to its central message, that only a tried and tested Labour government can be trusted with retaining its promise.

Still, staging an election now amidst international turmoil would inevitably trigger questions on the government’s ability to honour its commitments, especially if the energy subsidy bill increases significantly.

But Abela would likely bank on his successful record of managing the pandemic and inflation caused in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He will project himself as a safe pair of hands in a time of crisis reminding voters that despite the difficulties he faced, he had never resorted to austerity.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Malta remains heavily reliant on natural gas and imported electricity, leaving it vulnerable to international instability. Progress has been made on the renewable energy front. The first offshore wind concession, a 300 MW floating project, received three bids in mid-2025, although no contracts have been awarded yet.

Physical works on the second interconnector (IC2) are well underway, while proposals for offshore wind and North African solar imports remain in pre-market consultation. None of these lofty commitments will have come to fruition if an election is called now, although neither will any of these projects be near completion if the election is held next year. The question is, will the commitment to renewable energy endure after an election?

WASTE INFRASTRUCTURE

Permits have been issued for Malta’s waste-to-energy infrastructure at Magħtab, but works have stalled. An incinerator is central to reducing landfill dependency and yet the project has hit snag after smag with the latest being the withdrawal of the preferred bidder in November 2025, forcing a restart of the tendering process with no clear timeline.   

While landfill capacity has been temporarily increased and Malta has made great strides on waste separation, it remains a race against time when it comes to a long-term solution to the waste problem.

TRANSPORT DECISIONS

The Maltese Government is shifting its mass transport strategy to a multi-modal ‘hybrid’ system, replacing the €6.2 billion underground metro plan floated before the 2022 election. Transport Minister Chris Bonett confirmed that geological and feasibility studies are underway for a more cost-effective €2.8 billion model.

The transport issue, a voting priority for one-tenth of the electorate, is likely to feature in the campaign, with the Opposition recently promising its own detailed proposal in the coming days. Yet, questions raised by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana on the financial sustainability of this massive undertaking in the absence of a shift from car use, remain pertinent. Whether a clear answer will be given before an election is called, remains unclear.

URBAN GREENING PROJECTS

Several flagship urban greening projects mentioned in the 2022 manifesto remain in the planning or early construction phases, often due to complex redesigns.

Plans to pedestrianise San Ġwann’s Vjal ir-Rihan remain pending. Initial designs included an underpass to divert traffic, but this is under review due to cost and disruption concerns. Current proposals focus on rerouting surface traffic and creating a green public space, though no final decision or timeline has been set.

The €11 million Bormla public garden project is now in the procurement stage following the site’s reclamation from the American University of Malta.

Plans to roof over the main thoroughfare leading into the Santa Venera Tunnels and turn the space above into a garden remain unresolved years after they were first promised.

Initially announced in 2017 and projected to cost around €35 million, the project has yet to begin construction. Project Green says works cannot start until the nearby Msida Creek project is completed.

In 2022 the PL had also pledged to turn Floriana’s main road into a garden by moving traffic underground. However, the tunnel was later deemed technically unfeasible. Current plans focus on surface-level regeneration, restoring historic arches and partial pedestrianisation. With regards to another electoral commitment to transform the San Luċjan site in Birżebbuġa into a recreational one, planning permits for tank dismantling were finally issued, and the local plan is being changed to pave the way for ‘Is-Siċċa’ project—set to include both recreational space while also serving as a hub for research and innovation.

The Msida Creek regeneration, with a flyover and 8,000sq.m of new green space, is currently under construction, although a pre-electoral opening would be unlikely if an election is called in the next days.

Beyond its 2022 commitments, the government has also embarked on a public consultation on new public parks in Manoel Island, White Rocks and Fort Campbell. This came in the wake of Abela’s decision to reclaim Manoel Island from the MIDI consortium and to stop plans to commercialise the White Rocks site.

CONSTITUTIONAL APPOINTMENTS

The appointments of a new Auditor General and Chief Justice remain unresolved due to the two-thirds parliamentary majority requirement, creating a political impasse. To avoid a leadership vacuum, parliament approved constitutional amendments in March 2026 allowing the current incumbents to stay: Auditor General Charles Deguara continues his second term, and Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti remains in office past the mandatory retirement age of 68.

The government has proposed an anti-deadlock mechanism giving the president the final say if parliament fails to agree, though this still requires a two-thirds majority. If an election is called, the next government will need to either secure consensus on new appointments or on the anti-deadlock mechanism.

MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL

Originally pledged in the PL’s 2022 manifesto as a state-of-the-art facility to replace the ageing Mount Carmel Hospital, the project was eventually integrated into an €80 million tender in 2024 that would see Mater Dei Hospital’s emergency department expand with an overlying acute mental health facility. This plan stalled in August 2025 when the government moved to cancel the call since the sole bidder, Bonnici Group consortium, submitted a €136 million proposal—nearly double the amount earmarked for the project. Despite an active legal appeal by the bidder, in March 2026 the government opted for a negotiated procedure, ostensibly to bypass further delays.

EUTHANASIA AND LIVING WILL

The 2022 manifesto commitment to hold a “mature discussion” on voluntary euthanasia has transitioned into a formal consultative phase. Following a 2025 White Paper that garnered over 15,000 submissions, the government is currently analysing feedback.

Conversely, the living will reform is significantly further ahead. A draft law has been tabled in parliament, designed to allow individuals to legally refuse specific medical treatments via a notarial act. This move aims to provide legal clarity for patients and doctors alike, and is less controversial than euthanasia itself while underlining the government’s reformist drive.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The 2022 manifesto set an ambitious social agenda, supported by a multi-billion-euro commitment to social measures. Central to the housing strategy was the continued delivery of 1,700 social units (originally pledged in 2017) and the expansion of a middle-income model offering properties at 30% below market rates.

By early 2024, approximately 442 units from the social housing project were completed and allocated. A significant separate project consisting of 267 units in Ħal Farruġ (Luqa) remains in the pipeline, with completion targets shifted to 2026 following a financing reassessment.

Separately, a distinct affordable housing scheme managed by the Foundation for Affordable Housing—a government-Church joint venture—plans to offer at least 260 units at roughly 30% below market price.

This specific scheme has faced a legal challenge from the Malta Development Association (MDA), which requested an EU state aid probe regarding fair competition. Despite these hurdles, the government maintains a target to deliver a total of 750 affordable units by late 2026.

MOTORSPORT

In the 2022 manifesto, the PL promised an international-standard motorsport complex in Ħal Far including facilities for drag racing, karting, and circuit racing, without using ODZ land.  So far works have progressed on upgrading the quarter-mile drag strip with the first layers of specialised post-tensioned concrete poured in late 2025. 

However, planning permits still have to be issued for the promised race track meeting international standards required to host Formula 3 races.