With Malta’s general election now just two weeks away, the political battle is entering its decisive phase as parties turn their focus from national messaging to the realities of the country’s 13 electoral districts.
While the overall picture still points towards a contest dominated by the two major parties, the district-by-district landscape reveals several key battlegrounds where shifts in votes, candidate strength and changing demographics could influence the final parliamentary balance.
The Labour Party remains firmly entrenched in its southern heartlands, particularly in districts two, three and four, where it has consistently secured four out of five seats in recent elections. Yet even in these areas, retirements and the departure of established vote-pullers have opened internal contests over who will inherit those votes.
For the Nationalist Party, attention is centred on marginal districts such as the fifth, sixth and twelfth, where relatively small swings could translate into additional seats. The PN also enters the campaign with renewed confidence in northern districts after improved local council results in 2024.
Gozo may once again emerge as the election’s bellwether district, especially with PN leader Alex Borg contesting there in a high-stakes gamble that could reshape the island’s political dynamics.
As Malta goes to the polls in two weeks’ time, the candidate lists are now in and official.
A total of 162 candidates – 72 for the PL, 65 for the PN, 8 for ADPD, 7 for Momentum, 7 for Aħwa Maltin, 2 independents, and 1 for Imperium Europa – will contest the general election on 30 May.
The Malta Independent on Sunday dives into each of Malta’s 13 electoral districts to analyse where change may be afoot, and where the status quo may prevail.
District 1
Localities: Valletta, Floriana, part of Birkirkara, Guardamangia, Ħamrun, Marsa, Santa Venera
Result in 2022: PL – 60.07%; PN – 37.56%; other parties – 2.38%
Elected MPs: Keith Azzopardi Tanti (PL), Darren Carabott (PN), Mario De Marco (PN), Deo Debattista (PL), Aaron Farrugia (PL)
Gender Quota: Cressida Galea (PL), Paula Mifsud Bonnici (PN), Davina Sammut Hili (PL)
The first district was for a time a PN stronghold, but with population migration away from Valletta, and re-districting, it has grown into a district which is comfortably in the PL’s hands.
This year, the district has seen a part of Birkirkara – a traditionally Nationalist-leaning locality – worth 4,177 votes added within its borders, and Pieta shifted elsewhere.
The two top performers in this district – Keith Azzopardi Tanti and Darren Carrabott – will both be re-contesting for their seat, and will likely be the two district front-runners. Backbencher Deo Debattista will also be seeking re-election.
PN MP Mario De Marco has called it a day after 23 years in Parliament, and PL MP Aaron Farrugia has also ended his political career having been first elected in 2017. Another vote-puller who is not contesting the election is Jose Herrera – meaning that there are 4,500 PL votes up for grabs.
Sitting MP Cressida Galea, who was elected via the gender quota, may capitalise but new candidates Olaf McKay – the mayor of Valletta, Fleur Abela – the daughter of former PL Deputy Leader and Judge Tony Abela, Nigel Vella – who worked closely with Joseph Muscat and is active in his hometown Hamrun, and Josef Bugeja – the former long-time GWU Secretary General – may also be well-placed to pick up votes.
The PN is fielding six candidates in the district, one fewer than in 2022. Front runners for De Marco’s seat may be sitting MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici, who was elected via the gender quota last time, Floriana deputy mayor James Aaron Ellul, who garnered close to 1,000 votes in 2022, and deputy leader Alex Perici Calascione.
District 2
Localities: Cospicua, Vittoriosa, Senglea, Żabbar, Kalkara, Xgħajra, part of Fgura, part of Marsaskala
Result in 2022: PL – 71.19%; PN – 26.28%; other parties – 2.53%
Elected MPs: Robert Abela (PL), Stephen Spiteri (PN), Clyde Caruana (PL), Chris Agius (PL), Alison Zerefa Civelli (PL) /// Glenn Bedingfield (PL – Casual Election)
Gender Quota: Bernice Bonello (PN)
This district is as red as they come, with the PL winning four seats out of five on offer in 2022 – something which the party has done consistently here since the 2008 general election.
The question here isn’t whether that will change this year: it would be a monumental shock for that to happen, but rather who out of the PL’s stacked ballot sheet will be elected.
Prime Minister Robert Abela is on the ballot here, which means that he will scoop up the lion’s share of the Labour vote. Everything else will depend on how his votes will be distributed to the remaining 15 Labour candidates contesting on this district.
Clyde Caruana and Alison Zerafa Civelli can expect to be among the front-runners once again, but the absence of Chris Agius – who retired from politics – means that at least one seat is up for grabs.
Glenn Bedingfield will be hoping to poll strongly and Byron Camilleri is also on this district, although it is not his primary one. There are new candidates such as Zabbar mayor Jorge Grech, former MEP candidate Clint Azzopardi Flores, former Labour Youths President Georvin Bugeja, and government CEO Roderick Zerafa who will be hoping to make an impact.
For the PN it’s a simpler equation: the party has four candidates here, and Stephen Spiteri will almost certainly be re-elected. Sitting MP Bernice Bonello ranked second in 2022, and will likely take that place again, but might have to rely again on the gender quota mechanism to be re-elected.
District 3
Localities: Għaxaq, Żejtun, Marsaxlokk, part of Marsaskala
Result in 2022: PL – 69.03%; PN – 27.74%; other parties – 3.23%
Elected MPs: Chris Fearne (PL), Owen Bonnici (PL), Carmelo Abela (PL), Andy Ellul (PL), Stephen Spiteri (PN) /// Ray Abela (PL – Casual Election), Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici (PN – Casual Election)
Gender Quota: Alicia Bugeja Said (PL), Janice Chetcuti (PN)
The third district is also part of the PL’s heartland. Like in the second district, the PL won four out of five seats on offer here in 2022 and has done so in every election since 2013.
All the incumbent MPs here are re-contesting for their seat with the exception of Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, who had been elected via a casual election.
Like in the second district next door, the focus here will be on whether PL voters stick with the faces they are used to or opt for new ones.
Alicia Bugeja Said, for instance, may have been elected via the gender quota in 2022 but she had still managed to garner over 1,200 first count votes, and she has grown in stature as a politician since. Ray Abela, who was elected via a casual election, now also has a legislature under his belt in terms of experience.
The PN will again have Stephen Spiteri leading a ballot list of eight candidates. Janice Chetcuti and John Baptist Camilleri had performed well – albeit not well enough to be elected – with over 1,000 votes each. Prominent surgeon Ray Gatt, who is from Zejtun, is a new candidate for the PN and has been touted as a potentially strong candidate for the party as well.
District 4
Localities: Paola, Tarxien, Gudja, Santa Luċija, part of Fgura
Result in 2022: PL – 67.62%; PN – 29.49%; other parties – 2.88%
Elected MPs: Chris Fearne (PL), Byron Camilleri (PL), Jonathan Attard (PL), Chris Bonett (PL), Mark Anthony Sammut (PN) /// Katya De Giovanni (PL – Casual Election)
Gender Quota: Amanda Spiteri Grech (PL)
The fourth electoral district is another where the PL won four seats out of five, but we are here entering the areas where – while they will remain PL strongholds – the PN will likely be targeting to win a second seat out of the five.
All of the PL’s incumbent MPs here are re-contesting, and there is no reason to believe that they would not be the front-runners – but the great question here is whether the PN will manage to swing enough voters its way to win back a seat.
The placement of former party Secretary General Michael Piccinino on this district – and only on this district – is a signal of intent in this regard. He has also been campaigning since mid 2024, meaning he has a head start over other new candidates.
Piccinino joins incumbent Mark Anthony Sammut as the party’s likely frontrunners in this district.
District 5
Localities: Birżebbuġa, Kirkop, Safi, Qrendi, Żurrieq, Mqabba
Result in 2022: PL – 65.23%; PN – 31.79%; other parties – 2.98%
Elected MPs: Robert Abela (PL), Bernard Grech (PN), Miriam Dalli (PL), Owen Bonnici (PL), Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi (PL) /// Omar Farrugia (PL – Casual Election), Stanley Zammit (PN – Casual Election)
Proportionality Mechanism: Toni Bezzina (PN)
The fifth district is another southern district where the PN will be aiming to win a seat from the PL, having only missed out on securing a second seat by 257 inherited votes in 2022.
However, Prime Minister Robert Abela will once again be contesting on this district, as will heavyweights Miriam Dalli and Owen Bonnici.
Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi has retired from politics, with Omar Farrugia – who was elected via a casual election and is from Mqabba – among the front-runners to take his seat.
As for the PN, back in 2022 then party leader Bernard Grech had contested on this district. Grech will not feature here this time, meaning that the two most prominent names on the ballot sheet are incumbent MPs Toni Bezzina and Stanley Zammit.
Joining them however is the PN’s late wildcard former PL Gzira mayor Conrad Borg Manche and new candidate Oliver Cini, who was thrust into the spotlight owing to the debate on the PN’s Mediterranean Maritime Fuel Hub proposal. 2024 MEP candidate Miriana Calleja Testaferrata de Noto is also on the ballot sheet here and may be targeting to at least gain a seat via the gender quota mechanism.
A closure in the gap between the two parties on a country-wide level will see the PN gain seats on the PL, and this might be one place where the party does just that.
District 6
Localities: Luqa, Qormi, Siġġiewi
Result in 2022: PL – 60.58%; PN – 37.26%; other parties – 2.15%
Elected MPs: Jerome Caruana Cilia (PN), Silvio Schembri (PL), Roderick Galdes (PL), Ryan Callus (PN), Ian Borg (PL) /// Rosianne Cutajar (PL – Casual Election)
The sixth district is another which leans towards the PL, but it is also a district which will see some changes in the MPs that it elects.
Jerome Caruana Cilia for the PN and Silvio Schembri for the PL are shoe-ins to be re-elected – both exceeded the vote quota on the first count in 2022 – but the two next most popular candidates for each party will not be contesting.
PN’s Ryan Callus has stepped down from politics after 13 years in Parliament, and PL’s Roderick Galdes will also not be on the ballot sheet after being blocked from contesting by his own party – something which may have an impact on voting patterns.
Rosianne Cutajar is among those likely to capitalise on Galdes not being present on the ballot sheet, particularly as she too is from Qormi, but there is also sitting MP Ramona Attard – who has never contested an election before as she was co-opted – on this district together with new candidate Omar Rababah, who was the subject of racial insults upon announcing that he would contest, who may both perform well as well.
The PN welcomes a couple of new candidates on this district too, with the most notable being Siggiewi mayor Julian Borg and the party’s electoral manifesto coordinator George Vital Zammit.
While both Luqa and Qormi lean towards the PL, there was a voter shift of some 400 votes to the PN in Siggiewi in the 2024 council elections. It will be interesting to see if that transpires in the district result as well.
District 7
Localities: Dingli, Żebbuġ, Rabat, Mdina, Mtarfa
Result in 2022: PL – 55.54%; PN – 41.40%; other parties – 3.06%
Elected MPs: Ian Borg (PL), Silvio Schembri (PL), Julia Farrugia (PL), Adrian Delia (PN), Ryan Callus (PN) /// Malcolm Paul Agius Galea (PL – Casual Election), Charles Azzopardi (PN – Casual Election), Rebekah Borg (PN – Casual Election).
Gender Quota: Naomi Cachia (PL)
Proportionality Mechanism: Ian Vassallo (PN)
The seventh district is another district which has been largely comfortable for the PL, with the party winning it even when the PN just about scraped an electoral victory in 2008. Since then, the voting distribution has remained roughly in the same regions.
This is Ian Borg’s home district, and that will likely be reflected in the first count vote tallies. Otherwise, all of the MPs that the party elected from this district are re-contesting – including those elected via a casual election and via the gender quota.
Domestic Violence Commissioner Samantha Pace Gasan and Omar Rababah are two notable new candidates for the PL on this district as well.
For the PN, this is a district where fewer candidates are being fielded: the party fielded 11 in 2022 and will be fielding just seven this time around.
Among those seven however are MPs Adrian Delia, Rebekah Borg, and Charles Azzopardi, and the party’s votes are likely to be concentrated around them. Delia will likely top the charts for the party, and the choice on who will take Ryan Callus’ seat may be between Borg and Azzopardi.
District 8
Localities: Part of Birkirkara, Balzan, Lija, part of Naxxar, Iklin
Result in 2022: PN – 52.16%; PL – 44.42%; other parties – 3.42%
Elected MPs: Clyde Caruana (PL), Justin Schembri (PN), Beppe Fenech Adami (PN), Adrian Delia (PN), Edward Zammit Lewis (PL)
Gender Quota: Julie Zahra (PN)
The eighth electoral district is where we start to enter the PN’s heartland.
Built largely around Birkirkara, the district has been in the hands of the PN for most of recent history, with 2013 being the exception.
The district is the one which was most affected by changes to Malta’s electoral map: 4,177 voters from Birkirkara were shifted to the first district, and they were replaced by 6,051 voters from Naxxar.
Party heavyweights Justin Schembri, Beppe Fenech Adami, and Adrian Delia are the likely frontrunners, while MPs Julie Zahra and Ivan Castillo are also on the ballot sheet. The party has given a push to new candidate and former Labourite Edmond Cuschieri as well.
The PL’s star candidate here is no doubt Clyde Caruana, but others will be vying for the seat vacated by Edward Zammit Lewis, who will not be contesting, and for the 2,500 votes or so which went to Clayton Bartolo and Roderick Galdes – who were both candidates on this district and who will both not contest this election.
Keith Azzopardi Tanti contests this district for the first time, and sitting MPs Alex Muscat and Cressida Galea are also on the ballot sheet – but this isn’t the primary district for any of these candidates.
Candidates who may perform well though are Yana Borg Debono Grech – the granddaughter of PL stalwart Joe Debono Grech, daughter of the late former Birkirkara mayor Joanne Debono Grech, and the PL’s minority leader in the Birkirkara local council – and John Grech – who is the PL’s International Secretary and also from Birkirkara.
District 9
Localities: Għargħur, Swieqi, Msida, San Ġwann, Ta’ Xbiex, Pieta
Result in 2022: PN – 55.94%; PL – 40.65%; other parties – 3.42%
Elected MPs: Clifton Grima (PL), Joe Giglio (PN), Michael Falzon (PL), Robert Arrigo (PN), Ivan J. Bartolo (PN) /// Rebecca Buttigieg (PL – Casual Election), Graziella Attard Previ (PN – Casual Election), Karol Aquilina (PN – Casual Election)
Gender Quota: Eve Borg Bonello (PN)
The ninth district is generally a PN-leaning district, although the one factor at play here is that Pieta has been added to its borders.
The PN however will be encouraged particularly due to results in the last local council elections, where it overtook the PL and won majorities in Msida and San Gwann.
There are blue seats up for grabs though: Robert Arrigo passed away in October 2022, while Ivan J. Bartolo and Karol Aquilina are both not seeking re-election. Not that PN voters won’t have anyone to choose from: the party is fielding 14 candidates in this district.
Among those are deputy leader Alex Perici Calascione, Swieqi mayor Noel Muscat, Msida mayor Charles Selvaggi, and several sitting MPs.
The PL meanwhile has fielded more candidates than in 2022: 11 this year compared to just five last time around. Clifton Grima and Michael Falzon are likely to remain the frontrunners, but the ballot sheet will also feature several new candidates, including former MEP candidate Clint Azzopardi Flores.
District 10
Localities: Sliema, Gżira, part of Naxxar, Pembroke, St Julian’s
Result in 2022: PN – 58.65%; PL – 37.03%; other parties – 4.33%
Elected MPs: Joe Giglio (PN), Robert Arrigo (PN), Michael Falzon (PL), Clifton Grima (PL), Mark Anthony Sammut (PN) /// Graham Bencini (PN – Casual Election), Albert Buttigieg (PN – Casual Election)
The tenth district is traditional PN heartland and there will be no shortage of PN candidates for the party faithful to choose from, with 16 candidates appearing on the blue part of the ballot sheet.
The seat which belonged to the late Robert Arrigo will be open, and there are plenty of potential candidates poised to take it. Among them is the PN’s wildcard candidate, former PL mayor Conrad Borg Manche.
An optimistic scenario for the PN would be if it were to secure a fourth seat in this district – but doing so would require a swing of around 8 to 9 percentage points.
The presence of Borg Manche, who may well hoover up some Labour voters, may help towards that end – but this is also the district where Momentum chairperson Arnold Cassola is contesting. He is unlikely to be elected, but will likely be the best performing third party candidate and data from the 2024 MEP election shows that it is likely the PN which will lose out on votes from Cassola’s presence.
As for the PL, the party has put up an impressive 15 candidates – therefore making the 10th district the one with the longest ballot sheet.
Clifton Grima and Michael Falzon are likely to be the favourites again, but the ballot sheet also features the returning Deborah Schembri and Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela – although this is the primary district of neither candidate.
District 11
Localities: Mosta, Attard
Result in 2022: PN – 53.34%; PL – 42.05%; other parties – 4.60%
Elected MPs: Bernard Grech (PN), Miriam Dalli (PL), Ivan Bartolo (PN), David Agius (PN), Alex Muscat (PL) /// Romilda Zarb (PL – Casual Election)
This is a straightforward district: just two localities, both of which are Nationalist-leaning – especially after the 2024 local council elections, where Mosta swung back to the PN as the party gained some 1,200 votes compared to five years prior.
Bernard Grech contested here as PN leader in 2022, and he will contest here again – his only district – and will be a shoe-in to keep his seat. Ivan Bartolo is also re-contesting his seat, but David Agius will step down from Parliament after 23 years.
Joseph Grech, a former PN youth wing President, may be the most likely option to succeed Agius. He was only around 200 votes short of being elected in 2022 when votes started to be inherited, so may have high hopes this time around to make that last step.
The PL meanwhile will only field five candidates on this district – like in 2022 – but three of them are MPs, and another is a former MP. Miriam Dalli will no doubt be elected, and it is then a competition between Alex Muscat, Romilda Zarb, and former MP Anthony Agius Decelis for the likely remaining seat, with new candidate Francesca Zarb waiting in the wings to perhaps cause an upset.
District 12
Localities: Mġarr, Mellieħa, St Paul’s Bay
Result in 2022: PN – 49.49%; PL – 46.82%; other parties – 3.69%
Elected MPs: Clayton Bartolo (PL), Michael Farrugia (PL), Ivan Castillo (PN), Robert Cutajar (PN), Graziella Galea (PN)
Gender Quota: Claudette Buttigieg (PN)
The twelfth district has been the most hotly contested district in recent elections, with the PN consistently maintaining a slim advantage in recent years.
All three localities now have Nationalist majority local councils after the 2024 council elections, but that is no guarantee that the PN can breathe easily.
What may help however is the fact that both of the PL’s sitting MPs here will not be recontesting: Michael Farrugia bows out of politics, while Clayton Bartolo claimed that a campaign of “attacks” was planned against him if he were to contest, and therefore opted not to.
Only Justice Minister Jonathan Attard remains from the party’s four top performers four years ago.
Deborah Schembri’s return to politics will catch eyes – this was the district she was elected from in 2013 – as will the return of Gozitan eye surgeon Franco Mercieca – who is contesting on this district alone. Rosianne Cutajar and Alicia Bugeja Said are also contesting here for the first time, while young candidate Carlos Zarb could also be one to watch.
In the blue corner meanwhile there are also changes, as both Robert Cutajar and Claudette Buttigieg – who was elected via quota – are not seeking re-election.
Cutajar’s seat will almost certainly be snapped up by PN leader Alex Borg, who will contest in the hope that his presence can help secure the district for his party.
It remains a question then, of who else will fair well: Ivan Castillo was the party’s most popular candidate in 2022, but Graziella Galea’s seat remained a toss-up until the very end: she only secured her place by avoiding elimination by just 4 votes in the 19th count.
With a total of 11 candidates on the PN ballot, that third seat could well be up for grabs.
District 13
Localities: All towns and villages in Gozo
Result in 2022: PL – 53.54%; PN – 43.94%; other parties – 2.53%
Elected MPs: Clint Camilleri (PL), Alex Borg (PN), Anton Refalo (PL), Jo Etienne Abela (PL), Chris Said (PN)
Gender Quota: Abigail Camilleri (PL)
If ever there was a bellwether electoral district, it is the famed thirteenth district: Gozo. Notoriously fickle and prone to swapping sides, the sister island is always a political battleground.
The presence of PN leader Alex Borg ups the stakes further: he is the first party leader to contest in Gozo since PN leader Enrico Mizzi in 1950, and he will hope that his presence – he was already an incredibly popular figure in 2022, let alone now – will push the district his way.
Long-time PN MP Chris Said has called it a day from politics after 18 years, and it will be interesting to see who may take his seat – particularly as the party’s four candidates aside from Borg are all new to general elections.
Norma Camilleri comes in with the most experience having contested the 2024 European elections, and she will be joined on the ballot sheet by Beppe Galea, Luke Said, and Frank-Anthony Tabone.
Meanwhile in the PL camp, there isn’t anything new to speak of: the party has five candidates, all of whom have contested before, and four of whom are MPs.
Clint Camilleri and Anton Refalo will likely continue their internal party feud to see who will be the most popular Gozitan Labour MP, while Jo Etienne Abela would also likely retain his seat should the PL maintain a majority in the district and Abigail Camilleri may once again have to rely on the gender quota to be elected.
The notion that the PL will win this district however, if polls are to be believed, may not be a given. It will be one of the interesting storylines to see develop throughout election day.
