The 2022 election saw many new faces elected to Parliament, and a number of notable veterans lose out.

The Nationalist Party suffered a major defeat at the polls, but the voters also seemed to show a preference for new blood.

As was to be expected, the Leader of the Nationalist Party, Bernard Grech, was elected, and this will be his first time in Malta’s Parliament.

But many other new faces have made it to Parliament. Darren Carabott, Mark Anthony Sammut, Jerome Caruana Cilia, Justin Schembri, Joe Giglio, Ivan Castillo and Alex Borg.

Adrian Delia was an MP last legislature, but technically this was also his first election.

There had been many calls for renewal in the party, for new candidates to be pushed forward and this election seems to have brought this about.

Many of the PN MPs who were labelled as ‘the face of the past’ by the Labour Party weren’t elected, or weren’t as strongly elected as they were in past elections.

A group of former MPs who were part of what became known as the ‘blue heroes’ – who had pushed for the removal of Adrian Delia, as well as some MPs who had backed him, did not do very well. The vote clearly showed that the voters were not pleased with the internal dispute that took place in 2019 and 2020.

Jason Azzopardi, Karol Aquilina, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, Karl Gouder, Kevin Cutajar, Claudette Buttigieg, Edwin Vassallo, Joseph Ellis and Maria Deguara weren’t elected.

Some may make it into Parliament through the various mechanisms and casual elections that need to take place for candidates who were elected on two districts. But regardless, PN supporters clearly showed they want a renewal within the party.

Candidates like Mario de Marco and Chris Said were elected, but were behind new candidates.

On the Labour side of things, a number of veterans made their way into Parliament, but there were still a large number not elected.

Anthony Agius Decelis, Evarist Bartolo, Glenn Bedingfield, Rosianne Cutajar, Jose Herrera, Jean Claude Micallef, Joe Mizzi and Oliver Scicluna all did not meet the quota.

So the PL also has a few new faces now. Jo Etienne Abela, Keith Azzopardi Tanti, Alison Zerafa Civelli, Chris Bonett,

While they were co-opted last legislature, this was the first time Andy Ellul and Jonathan Attard were elected.

There were a good number of PL candidates who were elected on two districts and so many casual elections will take place, meaning that some of the veterans not elected might still make it.

Although Prime Minister Robert Abela might have his eye on some newer talent, so one could still end up with a PL Parliamentary Group with even more new faces.