Prime Minister Robert Abela has summoned a number of ministers to Castille in what is expected to lead to a Cabinet reshuffle.

Less than two years after winning the election, Abela is set to change responsibilities of a number of ministers forming part of his team.

This will be the first reshuffle since the 2022 general election, which Labour had won. It is understood that the changes will be extensive.

The Cabinet at present is made up of 18 ministers and four parliamentary secretaries.

The reshuffle comes at the start of a year which will see a change in the presidency and the appointment of Malta's new European Commissioner.

The appointment of the next President however will require a two-thirds majority approval from the House of Representatives, and it is therefore unlikely that he or she will be a current member of the Cabinet.

Current Health Minister Chris Fearne is widely considered as being Abela's choice as Malta's European Commissioner. If so, he will have to relinquish his position as minister and Labour Party deputy leader. Jo Etienne Abela, currently minister for active aging, is a likely replacement to Fearne, the longest serving minister who had challened Abela for the PL leadership post in 2020. He will have Malcolm Paul Agius Galea as parliamentary secretary.

It is understood that Clint Camilleri will have planning added to his portfolio, while Chris Bonett will be promoted to minister, with responsibility for transport.

Apart from Abela and Clint Camilleri, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, Justice Minister Jonathan Attard, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo, Education Minister Clifton Grima, Equality Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli, and parliamentary secretaries Andy Ellul, Chris Bonett, Alicia Bugeja Said, Rebecca Buttigieg and Alison Zerafa Civelli, and MPs Malcolm Paul Agius Galea, Glenn Bedingfield, Naomi Cachia and Amanda Spiteri Grech all had one-to-one meetings with the Prime Minister.

Later in the afternoon it was the turn of Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli and Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo.

Among those who are expected to retain their current role are Foreign Minister Ian Borg, Byron Camilleri, Clifton Grima, Owen Bonnici and Clyde Caruana.

Since Labour came to power in 2013, two Cabinet members - Karmenu Vella and Helena Dalli - were picked by former PM Joseph Muscat to serve on the European Commission. Both resigned months earlier to prepare themselves for the European role.