Prime Minister pledges a humble government

The Labour Party’s landslide victory has reconfirmed the change the Maltese society wants, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said.

On Saturday the electorate voted in the European Parliament elections and Muscat’s party won with an absolute majority of 33,000 votes. The voting turnout was 75%.

This is the third election in a row that the PL has won with an absolute majority.

Interviewed by ONE head of news Aleander Balzan, Muscat said this win was not “a coincidence”.

“I believe this result is confirming in the most unequivocal manner the change in society and the change the society wants,” he said.

By midday, only former Labour PM Alfred Sant was elected MEP. While it is clear that Labour will elect three seats and the PN two seats, it is unclear where the third seat will go. Muscat was however very cautious in commenting over the PL’s chances of electing four seats.

“The fourth seat was never our goal and, statistically, the prospect is very remote. The electorate has given this government a clear vote of confidence… full stop, fresh line,” he said.

Muscat added that the strategy of the Nationalist Party, headed by its leader Simon Busuttil, was banking on the assumption that Labour would reduce its support.

“The PN was clearly hoping to bridge the gap through the disgruntled voters, elect three seats and shout victory based on the interpretation of results. But the 33,000 majority, with a 75% turnout, actually means that it is the same – if not more – than the 2013 elections,” he said.

According to Muscat, one of his “major mistakes” was his failure to continue explaining how the government’s pledge of a Malta for all was working out: “I see it every day.”

He argued that the PN focused its resources on the south but the electorate rejected it once again. Muscat said the PL was emerging as the representative to the urban localities, consolidating its position in the south while winning the majority in Gozo had not been a one-off case.

“Winning Gozo’s majority for the second time is humbling, but it also means greater responsibility.”

Muscat said that likewise, the government could not ignore the 25% who abstained and reiterated the Labour administration will remain with its feet planted firmly on the ground.

The Labour leader took the opportunity to stress on latest EU data that confirms the number of persons registering for work has gone done and is now 1% less than that registered during the PN administration’s last month.