Simon Busuttil has appeared again, and whenever people see him, they move towards the Labour Party, former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat claimed in a post to social media on Monday.
Muscat, who resigned following pressure in 2019 after the arrest of Yorgen Fenech, referred to a recent survey by Vincent Marmara which indicates that if a general election were to happen now, the PL would lead the Nationalist Party by around 16,000 votes.
The PL won the last general election by 39,000 votes, meaning that there was a substantial reduction in the vote gap based on Marmara's survey, which was held between 1st and 6th February with 1,200 participants. The survey indicates that the PL would obtain a majority of 50.1%, with the PN following at 44, the ADPD with 3%, and other parties with 2.7%.
Having said that, 22% of respondents indicated that they are undecided or unsure about which party they would vote for, or whether they would vote at all.
In his post on Monday, Muscat commented that just as the PL should not have lost its head with the gap of 12,000 votes, it also cannot fill it because of the gap having increased to 15,000. "The truth is, however, that the Labour Party increased again while the Nationalist Party remained where it was," he said. Muscat added that in terms of statistics, more time needs to pass in order to conclude if this is the beginning of a trend in favour of the PL. "Ironically," he continued, "with the launch of many small parties that positioned themselves against the Government, they lost votes to the same Government."
He questioned what happened since October, and remarked that the government is more focused on its work. He added that the effects of Budget 2025 have also started being felt.
Muscat said that Prime Minister Robert Abela and the PL started an exercise that is also felt where they are approaching PL supporters who are disillusioned. He said that much remains to be done in this regard, but that the effect has begun to be felt.
"The PN started dancing again to the tune of its extreme faction... Simon Busuttil appeared again. When they see him, people move towards the PL," Muscat concluded in his statement.
This was in reaction to recent statements by Busuttil. The former Leader of the Nationalist Party, recently spoke of the 17 Black inquiry and said that the "Panama Papers gang exposed by Daphne Caruana Galizia 9 years ago" are "finally about to face justice".
The former PN Leader had said that corruption charges were being brought against Muscat's former Chief of Staff and his "top Minister". Busuttil continued that if the police had done their duty, then this would have come about much sooner. He added that "because they did nothing, it took a number of us, as individual citizens, to ask the court to investigate".