The Budget for 2022 was approved in Parliament on Thursday, another indication that the calling of a general election may be imminent.

The Implementation of the Budget Measures was approved on Thursday – right after the government shot down a set of anti-corruption Bills proposed by the PN – by 37 votes to 27.

The Bill was rushed through the Parliamentary process, with the second reading taking place on Wednesday and the vote taking place this evening.

It’s a process which usually takes weeks, sometimes even months, which means it can drag into March or April.

The Budget would now have to go to the committee stage and then return for the third reading – a formality in the Parliamentary process – which is set to take place next week.

The Budget’s approval ties in with the Prime Minister’s statements that he would not call a general election before the Budget was implemented.  This was the reasoning he used to beat away suggestions that the country would go to the polls at the end of 2021.

Speculation has been rife that the next general election may take place on 12 March.

Prime Minister Robert Abela however has remained coy on these rumours, evading questions from journalists earlier in the week by simply saying that the election would be over with by June.