The Labour Party has again walloped the PN in the polls. Up to the time of writing, the PL was projecting to have scored a majority victory, taking some 53 % of votes with the PN taking only 40 %.

Give or take a few thousand votes, the result is almost the same to the one recorded in the general election last year and as things stand, it looks like the majority will be one in the region of 30,000.

At the time of writing, the future of the sixth seat – and whether it went to the PL or the PN – was still unclear. The first count has to be over before any indications will be forthcoming.

But there is no hiding from the fact that the PL has won its third European election on the trot and has become the first party which is in power to win the election. The PN said it had made some inroads, but it is clear that not much ground had been gained. As published in our survey yesterday, it has become glaringly clear that Malta does not appreciate the opposition’s negative approach to politics.

The PL – as a party – has for months been pointing the finger at the PN, saying that spouting negativity shows that it has no clear direction. And yesterday’s result shows that to be true. Even if the PN does win the third seat, it does not gloss anything over. The Nationalist Party is the first Maltese party to have not won the EP election from the opposition benches and its nose has been bloodied once again.

The PN has said it will analyse the result and comment later. It’s leader, Simon Busuttil has also said that he will await the outcome of the battle for the sixth seat before commenting on his own future at the helm of the party.

Voter apathy was another issue that came to play in this elections as some 80,000 people simply stayed at home on Saturday. It is becoming increasingly clear that there is a level of disenfranchisement with the EU and that trend shows no sign of slowing. But despite it all, there is no hiding the fact that this was a dismal election result for the PN and a fantastic one for the Labour Party.

Joseph Muscat’s persona seems to be growing in stature at every test and he has proved to be a master tactician who can read the political landscape like a book. The PN has its work cut out for it and has a long uphill battle ahead, if it seeks to even compete at the next General Election.