The Malta Labour Party’s win in last Saturday’s local councils did not come as a surprise. What perhaps was unexpected was the crushing win Labour obtained at the expense of a Nationalist Party that is now facing a crisis, just two years before the national elections are held.

The PN’s last victory at the polls was the last general election, which had quickly followed up a referendum on the European Union. Since then, the PN has suffered three electoral defeats in local council elections, and a fourth in the European Parliament election.

The results for the MLP are slightly better than they were in last year’s local council election. Then, the MLP had collected 53 per cent of the votes against the PN’s 44, taking over the Santa Venera and Mqabba councils. The gap between the two parties has now increased to 54 per cent for the MLP and 43 per cent for the PN.

But the MLP’s victory goes beyond. It is the first time that the MLP has won this round of local council elections, where the PN traditionally had a wide support. It is also highly significant that the PN has also lost the majority it held in what were the strongholds of San Gwann, Msida and Pieta.

The PN also lost support in several other localities in spite of retaining the majority. Important cases in this regard is what happened in Birkirkara and in Sliema, which showed a swing in favour of the MLP. The localities that are traditionally pro-PN were also those with the lowest turnouts, an indication that many Nationalists stayed at home and protested silently. The fact that Labour increased its number of councillors by 12 is also a significant factor. The MLP also did better in localities where it has always received great support.

All in all, if one were to stretch the argument, taken together, the last three local council elections were “a national election” which Labour won. And handsomely too.

The people’s message is loud and clear. And it came in different ways. There were those who chose to pass their message against the PN by not making use of their right to vote. Others went a step further by voting Labour.

It has always been maintained that local councils cannot be compared to a general election. The reasons that push people to vote one way or the other, or not vote at all, are different when they have to choose their government.

But, on the other hand, these results have their own meaning too, and a strong one at that. They are clearly showing that the people are not happy with their government. It could be on something purely local, but one cannot also disregard the fact that even on a national level, the people wanted to show their disappointment.

The PN might have dismissed the results in 2004 and 2005 as being “logical” in the sense that support for the party in government, especially when it takes unpopular decisions, is bound to dwindle in the early years of a legislature.

But, if this was the case, the PN cannot continue to ignore the signs, particularly following a round of elections where the PN has traditionally always done well. The fact that, as said earlier, Labour won this round with an absolute majority for the first time, makes it very clear where the people stand these days.

Will the PN realise its mistakes and correct them? Will these corrections, if made, be enough for it to regain the support it has continuously lost in the last three years? Will it be in time to win a third successive national election?

Will Labour continue the momentum it has picked up? Will the way it is presenting itself be enough for it to win national support when the time comes? Will it be able to project itself as an alternative government?

We will know in two years’ time. What is sure is that Labour has won the last four “battles”. But who will win the “war”?