The next round of local council elections will take place in June next year, alongside the elections for Malta’s representatives on the European Parliament.

When local councils were introduced around 30 years ago, their term in office was shorter and the localities were divided into three groups, which meant that at least one third of Malta used to go to the polls each year.

That hard turned the country into a perennial election mode, as local councils were used to gauge public sentiment and the political parties used them as a way to understand what needed to be adjusted.

Over a period of time, alterations were made on the length of the local councils’ term and they were later linked to the EP election. It gave local councils more time to carry out their work, the country more stability, and it saved some money too. The organisations of elections costs money, and having one every year was turning out to be quite an expensive exercise. Having them on the same day as EP elections, using the same resources, has been beneficial from a financial point of view as well.

As things have happened, the elections for local councils (and EP) now fall in more or less midway through a political legislature. A general election was held in June 2017, followed by the local councils and EP election in May 2019. Another general election was held in March 2022, and the next EP/local council polls will be in June 2024, two years and three months into the Labour government’s five-year term.

Local councils have now become part and parcel of our life. Some have worked tirelessly for their locality, others have been more lethargic. There were councils who performed well under particular mayors, and fared badly under others. Some councils have tried to think outside the box and have come up with ideas that have improved their locality; others have done just the bare minimum of what is required of them. There are localities where everything seems to be in order; others look shabby, disorganised and dirty.

Political parties are preparing their lists of candidates for the local council elections. Many of our MPs started their political career at local council level, and we are sure that many of the candidates who will be contesting in 2024 have this in mind too. Local councils are ideal for young people to get a taste of what public life is all about before deciding whether to attempt to make the big step forward into national politics.

Interest in politics seems to be waning among the younger generations, making it harder for the political parties to find youngsters who are willing to take the plunge. Yet it is not only among the younger people that there is a sense of disillusionment about politics. The fact that, in last year’s general election, Malta registered the lowest turnout in more than half a century is a solid indication that people are losing trust in politicians.

Next year’s local council and EP elections will tell us more.