Malta's 15th legislature was inaugurated on Saturday with the same number of MPs as the Parliament elected in 2022, but with a noticeably different composition, featuring 20 first-time parliamentarians, a narrower gap between the two major parties, and a record number of women, 27.
The number of MPs remains unchanged at 79, the same mechanisms that expanded Parliament four years ago were again triggered, and the Labour Party continues to command a parliamentary majority.
The new set-up also marks the departure of a number of veteran politicians whose names had become fixtures of parliamentary life over the past years.
Of the 79, 65 were directly elected on 31 May, 12 entered Parliament through the gender corrective mechanism and two were elected via the proportionality mechanism.
The Labour Party now occupies 42 seats in Parliament while the Nationalist Party holds 37.
That represents a narrowing of Labour's advantage compared to the previous legislature. Following the 2022 election, Labour held 44 seats while the PN occupied 35. Former minister Clayton Bartolo later sat as an independent MP after resigning, effectively creating a House made up of 43 PL MPs, 35 PN MPs, and one independent.
The new composition reduces Labour's parliamentary advantage from nine seats to five.
Women reach a new high
One of the most notable developments in this year's general election was the increase in female representation.
The new Parliament includes 27 women, the highest number in Maltese parliamentary history. Labour has 15 female MPs while the PN has 12.
By comparison, the Parliament elected in 2022 included 23 women after the gender corrective mechanism was applied, and only four women had been elected directly.
The increase means four more women will sit in Parliament during this legislature, although the overall figure still falls short of the 40% representation target.
Of the 27 women who will sit in Parliament, 14 secured election either directly or subsequently through casual elections.
Labour's women elected directly were Alison Zerafa Civelli, Alicia Bugeja Said, Julia Farrugia, Miriam Dalli and Rosianne Cutajar. They were later joined through casual elections by Naomi Cachia, Ramona Attard, Mariah Meli and Rebecca Buttigieg.
On the PN side, Eve Borg Bonello, Paula Mifsud Bonnici, Rebekah Borg and Graziella Galea secured direct election, while Graziella Attard Previ entered Parliament through a casual election.
Janice Abela Chetcuti, for the PN, entered Parliament through the proportionality mechanism, one of two additional seats allocated to the PN following the election.
The remaining 12 women entered Parliament through the gender corrective mechanism, six from each party.
On the Labour side, these are Cressida Galea, Deborah Schembri, Fleur Abela, Francesca Zarb, Romilda Zarb and Yana Borg Debono Grech. The PN MPs elected via the gender quota are Norma Camilleri, Annabelle Cilia, Bernice Bonello, Julie Zahra, Marilena Gauci, and Miriana Calleja Testaferrata de Noto.
At the same time, several women who in 2022 relied on the gender corrective mechanism, improved their electoral performance in the 2026 election.
Despite the increase, the fact that all 12 available gender-corrective seats were again required suggests that female representation continues to depend heavily on the mechanism rather than direct election alone.
20 first-time MPs
The new legislature will also see 20 first-time parliamentarians.
The Nationalist Party accounts for most of them, with 13 new MPs, while Labour has seven.
The new Labour MPs are Clint Azzopardi Flores, John Grech, Nigel Vella, Mariah Meli, Fleur Abela, Francesca Zarb and Yana Borg Debono Grech.
The PN's newcomers are Alex Perici Calascione, Andrew Agius, Beppe Galea, Conrad Borg Manché, Frank Anthony Tabone, George Vital Zammit, John Baptist Camilleri, Julian Borg, Michael Piccinino, Annabelle Cilia, Marilena Gauci, Miriana Calleja Testaferrata de Noto and Norma Camilleri.
Several arrive with extensive local government experience.
Mariah Meli served as mayor of Għargħur, John Baptist Camilleri held the role of minority leader in Marsaskala, Yana Borg Debono Grech was minority leader in Birkirkara, while Julian Borg served as mayor of Siġġiewi.
The scale of the renewal is particularly evident on the PN benches, where a large number of veteran MPs chose not to contest the election.
Veterans bow out
Among the most notable departures from the previous legislature are several long-serving MPs from both sides of the House, a total of 16 MPs.
PN MP Mario de Marco ended a parliamentary career spanning more than two decades, while former Deputy Speaker David Agius also stepped aside. Carm Mifsud Bonnici, Chris Said, Claudette Buttigieg, Ryan Callus, Robert Cutajar, Ivan J. Bartolo and Karol Aquilina also chose not to seek re-election.
Labour also saw several familiar faces leave Parliament.
Edward Zammit Lewis, Michael Farrugia, Aaron Farrugia, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Christopher Agius and Clayton Bartolo did not contest the election, while former housing minister Roderick Galdes was ultimately blocked from running on Labour's electoral ticket.
The departure of Robert Cutajar also resulted in a change to the PN parliamentary group's leadership structure, with Ivan Castillo subsequently appointed in his stead.
Familiar faces return
While some politicians exited the parliamentary stage, others returned to it.
Three Labour MPs who did not serve in the previous legislature, but have served in past legislatures, have made their way back to Parliament.
Anthony Agius Decelis, Deborah Schembri and Franco Mercieca all returned to Parliament after periods away from parliamentary politics.
The new legislature brings together decades of parliamentary experience alongside a new generation of politicians.
At 69, Anton Refalo is the legislature's oldest MP and longest-serving parliamentarian.
First elected in 1987, he remains one of Labour's most experienced political figures and is now the most long-standing member of the House.
At the opposite end sits Eve Borg Bonello. The 23-year-old PN MP made history in 2022 when she became the youngest person ever elected to the Maltese Parliament. Four years later, she remains the youngest member of the House, this time having secured direct election.
The youngest member of Cabinet is Omar Farrugia, who at 30 has been entrusted with the portfolio of Minister for Youth, Wellbeing and the Implementation of the Electoral Programme.
Casual elections, proportionality and a new Speaker
As in 2022, the final composition of Parliament was shaped by post-election mechanisms.
A total of 15 MPs entered the House through casual elections, eight from Labour and seven from the PN.
On the Labour side, Alex Muscat, Andy Ellul, Clint Azzopardi Flores and Franco Mercieca entered the House through casual elections, while Mariah Meli, Naomi Cachia, Ramona Attard and Rebecca Buttigieg were elected through the same process.
The PN MPs elected via casual election were Andrew Agius, George Vital Zammit, Graham Bencini, Ian Mario Vassallo, John Baptist Camilleri and Stanley Zammit, together with Graziella Attard Previ.
The legislature also begins with a new Speaker. Prime Minister Robert Abela nominated Labour MP Carmelo Abela to the role, meaning an additional Labour MP still has to be selected to fill the vacancy created by Abela.
Abela's appointment also closes a chapter in parliamentary history, ending Anglu Farrugia's 13-year tenure as Speaker of the House, the longest-serving Speaker in Malta's modern political era.
First elected Speaker following Labour's 2013 election victory, Farrugia went on to oversee three legislatures and some of the most consequential years in recent parliamentary history, including constitutional reforms and periods of heightened political scrutiny.
The election also saw a number of candidates fail to secure a seat through either direct election, casual elections or the corrective mechanisms.
On the Labour side, former MPs Davina Sammut Hili and Amanda Spiteri Grech missed out on re-election, while Abigail Camilleri announced the end of her political career after failing to secure a direct mandate and with no casual elections taking place on the district she contested.
Katya de Giovanni also failed to enter Parliament after falling short of the required quota, and the fact that there was no casual election process on the districts she contested.
The PN likewise saw two candidates fall short, apart from others who did not contest. Former MPs Albert Buttigieg and Charles Azzopardi were not elected.