Supporters of Malta’s Labor Party celebrate the election results in Hamrun, Malta (May 31, 2026) (Photo: Alberto Pizzoli / AFP)
Voters in Malta went to the polls on Saturday in a crucial election amid major crises in Europe, including mass illegal immigration, economic slowdown, demographic challenges, conflict on Europe’s eastern border and debt problems.
The centre-left Labor Party was elected to a historic fourth term with just over 51% of the vote, while the centre-right Nationalist Party won 45% of the vote. The Labor Party received about 3% less votes than in 2022, but a fourth consecutive victory is telling in the context of political dissatisfaction that is spreading like wildfire across Europe and citizens in most European countries who are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with successive governments.
Malta is the smallest European Union member state. The country covers an area of only 316 km² (smaller than many large cities) and with its population of just over half a million people is also the most densely populated country in the EU. About 95% of Malta’s citizens belong to the Catholic Church. Church attendance is therefore high and the country is widely regarded as the most conservative within the EU. Along with Poland, it is one of only two EU member states where abortions are not legal.
Yet Malta is also one of the most pro-EU countries, with over 90% of citizens consistently in favor of EU membership and integration. The reason for this is the significant benefits that EU membership brings to Malta. Apart from the economic benefits arising from tourism, financial services and trade, Malta has exceptionally high influence within the EU. The president of the European Parliament is Roberta Metsola, a member of Malta. In the European Council, where the heads of state of the 27 EU member states meet monthly, the prime minister of Malta has as much say as the leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Poland, despite these countries’ much larger populations.
The difference between the Labor Party and the Nationalist Party is relatively small. The former is more social-democratic, while the latter is more pro-free market and in favor of a smaller government and lower taxes. The former is also more liberal than the latter, but in European terms both parties are actually quite socially conservative.
The reason for the Labor Party’s victory this weekend has to do with stability and retaining influence. Last year, Malta had one of the highest economic growth rates in the European Union, a solid 4%. This is mainly due to tourism from the rest of the EU area, financial services, property development and trade. Most citizens hope that a stable government can continue this growth.
However, the second reason is related to Malta’s favorable position within the EU. During the election campaign, the Labor Party and its prime minister made a strong claim to their influence within the EU and the benefits it brings to Malta.
However, legal and illegal immigration is also becoming a challenge in Malta, with as much as 30% of people living on the island being of foreign origin. Most of these are indeed legal immigrants, some due to job opportunities and others more affluent immigrants from other EU countries who move or buy holiday homes there due to the climate.
However, there is also an increase in illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Syria and Bangladesh. This creates unique challenges in a country where most citizens are in favor of immediate deportation.
Malta remains a unique and interesting country: extremely conservative, but equally strongly pro-EU. In most other European countries these two ideas are opposed to each other. It is also a Mediterranean island state affected by conflicts such as those in Lebanon and the Gulf region, and which must constantly find ways to curb illegal immigration while facing all the typical challenges of demographic decline and European security and economic challenges. For now, things are going well in Malta, but for how long, remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that Malta proves that small countries can exert a huge influence, as Malta’s influence in Europe is often equal to that of the largest countries.
