The Labour Party has convened a week-long national congress beginning on Sunday, in what is being seen as the clearest sign yet that Prime Minister Robert Abela is preparing to call a general election.

The congress, running under the slogan Malta Aqwa (A stronger Malta), was quietly revealed through a Facebook banner promoting a discussion with Abela at the Ta' Ċenċ Hotel in Gozo. The words Kungress 2026 appeared in small print, while the event invited supporters to "write the next chapter".

Under the party statute, a congress can only be called in three circumstances: to elect a new leader, before a general election to discuss the party's political and manifesto guidelines, or on the executive committee's own initiative. With no leadership contest underway and no obvious internal crisis, party sources confirmed the congress is being convened for electoral reasons.

The statute does not give a timeline for how soon before a general election the congress needs to happen.

Speculation over an early election has been mounting for weeks. Labour's strategy team is meeting regularly to prepare for a possible snap poll, while candidates aren upping the tempo with regard to political activities to earn public support.

That impression was reinforced by a recent press conference featuring the entire Cabinet, and again during Abela's Freedom Day speech on March 30, when he twice appealed for the people's "support" without formally calling an election.

Under Maltese law, the prime minister can call an election at a time of his choosing, but at least 33 days must pass between the dissolution of parliament and polling day.

At this stage, the election can therefore be held from 16 May onwards.

For now, Labour's congress has turned election speculation into expectation.