The people have spoken. It is safe to assume that Malta will have another Labour government, which will be formally set up in the coming days.

While the official result will be out later on this morning, the surveys had been showing that Abela’s party was heading for yet another electoral victory.

One must also point out that this was not some bitterly fought-out campaign – to the contrary, it was a very timid one, with no bombshell scandals dropped, no major issue that dominated the public interest.

Except for the Labour Party’s proposal on making union membership mandatory, and a trackless tram idea from the Nationalist Party, all the parties could come up with were long lists of goodies they will be distributed if elected.

The good thing is that this was also not a politically divisive and aggressive campaign. Maybe this is a sign that things are changing, that Malta is finally becoming more mature when it comes to politics and elections.

Now we must put it all behind us and look forward.

Naturally, all eyes will be on the new Prime Minister this week as he appoints his new Cabinet. One hopes that it will be a better government than the one we just had, that if we are indeed to have another Labour government, the electorate has at least voted out politicians who were tainted with claims of corruption and scandal, or at least that the Prime Minister will keep them out of his new team.

Parliament will surely have more women in the chamber, as the mechanism introduced in this election allows for a better gender-representation. This will possibly also mean more women in the Cabinet of ministers and parliamentary secretaries.

As the country moves forward and deals with issues like the FATF grey listing, everything must be in tip-top shape, and the administration must have a clean record.

Another issue that must become a priority again is the Covid-19 situation. Over the past weeks, we saw daily numbers rise again, mainly as a result of a new wave that is sweeping Europe and the rest of the world, but also because of relaxed measures.

Things were not taken seriously during the various mass rallies held, as well as during activities organised by individual candidates. People were not wearing masks and social distancing rules were not followed. Whatever the politicians say, the rules were relaxed to accommodate the election campaign activities.

But cases have been steadily on the rise again and this situation needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Surely, no one wants to head back to a situation where establishments are closed again and where restrictive measures are tightened.

Another major issue – one that has proved to be one of the people’s main concerns during the past weeks – is the rising cost of living, driven up not only by the pandemic but also by the war in Ukraine. People are feeling the pinch as the prices of foodstuffs and other basic items skyrocket. This is a delicate issue that needs forward planning and collaboration between government, opposition and the social partners.

Now that the election is over, both major parties should work together to address these issues and others. We would like to see more collaboration between PL and PN. Both had some very good proposals in their electoral manifestos and, while parties are usually bound by their electoral manifestos, it would not be such a bad thing if the government took on some of the other party’s proposals.

These include proposals on the environment, which both parties have focused heavily on. The environment is often claimed to be a topmost priority by political parties contesting an election but, in the long run, this is hardly ever the case. We truly hope that the issues of traffic, construction and the lack of green spaces are truly addressed during the coming five years, before it is really too late.

Most of all, we want to see good governance working as it should. Robert Abela hinted a few days ago that politicians who resign in scandal should not receive handsome terminal benefits from state coffers. We hope that Abela will put his money where his mouth is and actually change the rules.

We would also like to see the process which started in the past legislature with regard to the strengthening of the media continue as quickly as possible, and that valid recommendations made to the government are implemented.

Once the celebrations are over, the country needs to settle down in its routine. These past two years have been disruptive because of the pandemic, and the approach of the election as well as the campaign inevitably led to a slowing down. We now all have to turn the page and move on.