The government is "surely not populist", Labour Youths president Miguel Abela said when asked about criticism levelled at the government, decrying it as a populist one when considering factors such as its subsidy initiatives.

Populism can be popular because it "promises everything to everyone", and added that, from his experience, he does not think that can be done.

He said that when one considers Vision 2050, he does not think the government is populist. He said that Vision 2050 is the government's ideas for the future, not just for today.

He stated that he thinks it is important to plan ahead in the country's leadership, as youths do not want to see a situation where the country moves five years at a time.

Abela, who is 21 years old and is also the deputy mayor of Dingli, was appointed as the president of the Labour Party's youths in July. He also works at the Secretariat of the Deputy Prime Minister.

In an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, he said that his life does not revolve solely around politics, adding that political involvement doesn't mean closing the door on everything else.

He added that there are members of his family who were involved with both the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party, and continued that it was his own decision to involve himself in politics. He noted that he thinks it is a mistake for someone to be made to get involved in the political field or to simply follow in their relatives' footsteps. "I think politics has to be something that interests you and that you enjoy," he commented.

Asked about subsidies as part of the government's initiatives, he said that everything always has to be considered in context. Abroad, one can see "great problems of unemployment and exorbitant energy prices" but added that the contrary is present in Malta. He spoke of the upcoming budget and remarked that it is good to always be ambitious to do more, adding that he thinks a socialist government should take care of all aspects of society.

Abela has previously made statements praising Donald Trump upon his election as the 47th President of the United States of America, in which Abela spoke of Trump's resilience and ability to convince people to vote for him. As a political figure on the international stage, Trump has often been criticised himself for being a populist and for dividing or misdirecting people, with concerns being raised about the trend of politics becoming more divisive.

Asked about his thoughts on this, Abela stated that he does not believe in politics where someone is "all good or all bad". He said that when he had talked about Trump, he had said that it would be good to analyse how Trump was capable of convincing the American people to elect him even after losing the previous election.

"If we are going to shut our eyes, ears, and mouths, and pretend that what is happening there is not happening and simply say that we do not agree with Trump, then we would be mistaken. Let us see what the reasons were as to why he resonated with the American people," Abela said.

He continued that there are things about the US President which upset him, with one of them being the manner in which he attacks those who are against him politically. "I do not think that it is acceptable to personally attack those against you, especially when you are leading the strongest country on the planet," Abela commented. "However, I think the time has come for those who follow politics to be capable of looking at someone and seeing all of their traits."

He referred to former US Vice President Kamala Harris as an example. Harris was Trump's opponent from the Democratic Party in the 2024 US Presidential election. Abela said that he greatly admires her, as he spoke of how she came from a minority background and had parents who were both immigrants, adding that it is something very commendable for her to have arrived where she has in her career.

Abela also spoke of the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, as a European example. He said Sanchez is leading a very stable government which has enacted big reforms, and added that it is one of the other few European countries, aside from Malta, which is doing well economically.

Abela said that he thinks it is very important to look at these things, as he noted that populism is growing around the world and needs to be discussed, as "closing our eyes to it means that things will probably get worse".

Asked how he thinks the government could improve its work and messaging, Abela said the government needs to speak more about what it is doing.

Explaining his point, he said that people often take things that have happened for granted. He said that he was only eight years old when the PL was elected in 2013, and continued that a lot of major things that have happened since then are things that he does not necessarily acknowledge sometimes.

Abela discussed his thoughts on social issues such as abortion and euthanasia, and was asked whether he aligns with the stance taken by the government.

"Look, I think that when we talk about liberal things and big reforms, the Labour Party is home to such reforms... The track record is clear, and I think that is part of the reason why Labour has such strong youth participation," he began. He continued that the issue of abortion is one which "needs to be discussed", and added that "running away from discussions in this country would mean that we are moving backwards".

He spoke of how the Prime Minister had stated that there is no mandate for abortion to be introduced in Malta, and that there is no referendum planned on the issue. Acknowledging that, the Labour Youths president commented that he thinks there is nothing wrong with discussing it and getting everyone's views.

Speaking about euthanasia, he said that this was something which began being discussed in the Labour Youths offices. He described it as a very important discussion and said he believes the government's approach is the right way forward, adding that he looks forward to seeing how it develops and what outcomes it may bring.

When asked about the perceived apathy towards politics among Maltese youth, Abela said that he thinks there is a lot of general interest among young people, noting that this is not something that one only sees in Malta. "When you speak with youths on a one-on-one basis, you see they are very interested and get into the smallest things going on in Malta. They view podcasts, programmes, as well as international affairs, like elections and conflicts."

He remarked that it is a challenge among political parties with regard to a cohort of youths who remain distant or apprehensive towards politics. He said that he thinks part of the reason is that there is a mentality that if one aligns themselves with a party, then they believe that everything the party they support does is good and that everything the opposing party does is bad.

"As Zghazagh Laburisti, we are not a fan club for the Labour Party. We are here to criticise and offer proposals... We are here because we wish to see things get better," he commented.

He said that it is a mistake to look at people differently or with disdain according to what party they support. He continued that there is an interest in politics among the youth, and added that youths wish to be heard. "I think that we need to increase faith in our parties among the youth, and that's why we are here... If we thought everything was done and perfect, then we would stay at home and wouldn't dedicate our time here."

Abela was asked whether he believes the influence of young people in Maltese politics has grown or diminished across the political spectrum.

"I think youths want belonging," he said. "Politics is a vehicle of change... Youths who wish to make a difference and want their voices to be heard need to believe in politics again."

Abela said that there is a track record within the PL that youths have made progress whenever they have spoken up and pushed forward issues that they believe in. He said that this gives him courage, as it shows that what has been done before can be done again.

Staying on the topic of youth involvement in politics, The Malta Independent on Sunday referred to the recent election of Alex Borg as the PN's youngest leader, noting that he could potentially become Malta's youngest prime minister if he were to be elected. With that in mind, Abela was asked if he thinks that young politicians should hold such responsibility.

"I think that whether you should hold a post or not should not be determined on your age," he replied. He said that he believes one of the nicest things one can do in life is to wake up in the morning ready to work to have a better country, as he spoke of the importance of remaining optimistic in Malta.