A MaltaToday survey has put the Nationalist Party ahead by more than 11,000 votes.

The survey, the first to be published since the June MEP and local council elections, sees the PN with 48.2% of the preferences, with Labour at 43.8%, ADPD at 4.5% and other parties or independent candidates at 3.5%.

Last June, the Labour Party won both elections, but saw its lead drop from 42,000 to 8,400 in the EP election, and from 47,000 to 20,000 in the local council election.

The survey, published today, indicates a further shift as a result of a higher abstention rate among PL voters and the PN’s slight gains among non-voters.

Another indication from the survey is that if an election were to be held now, only 75% of voters would exercise their right.

The difference between the parties falls within the survey’s margin of error. The survey was held in the first half of September when Labour was electing its two deputy leaders.

Compared to the June election, the PL retained the same voter base while the PN increased its tally by 20,000 votes.

One main reason for the PN’s lead is its higher retention rate of 2022 voters. The PL, according to the survey, retains 69% while the PN retains 81% of its voters.

Conversely, the survey shows that Prime Minister Robert Abela is trusted more than Opposition Leader in the running of the country. The Malta Today survey shows that Abela is trusted by 42.6% while Grech’s rating stands at 26.6 %. Another 30% trust neither of the two leaders.