WATCH: Stage set for PM’s elections announcement… at Fort Tigne

The stage is set for the Prime Minister’s long-anticipated announcement of the date for upcoming elections at, of all places, Fort Tigné.

The Fort, purchased back by the public for millions as part of a controversial deal with MIDI plc, has been ready for Robert Abela’s go-ahead since last Thursday, The Shift can confirm.

It is an open secret that Abela has been weighing the possibility of early elections for weeks.

With preparations for the event at the Fort now understood to be complete, Abela is expected to visit the President to request the dissolution of Parliament and call snap elections, with polling day possibly set for 30 May.

When contacted by The Shift last Friday, as rehearsals and technical testing were underway at Fort Tigné, a spokesperson for MIDI denied knowledge of the activity.

“It’s something to do with the government,” the spokesperson said, without offering further details.

MIDI remains responsible for the administration of the Fort, as the deed transferring the site back to the Lands Authority has not yet been signed. The use of the Fort by Labour needed MIDI’s permission.

The Labour Party’s choice of venue for the electoral campaign launch was described by insiders as one of the most surreal political moments in the Party’s history.

Not only is the Fort situated in the heart of Sliema, one of the few remaining localities traditionally associated with the Nationalist Party, but it also symbolises one of the most notable U-turns made by Abela since becoming Prime Minister.

Abela had initially resisted calls from civil society groups to reclaim Manoel Island and Fort Tigné after MIDI failed to meet conditions laid down in the original concession. However, he later reversed his position after being presented with a public petition.

The Prime Minister also agreed to pay around €47 million from public funds to the business consortium behind MIDI, more than the developers had invested in restoration works on Manoel Island, although this is contested by MIDI.

The takeover happened because MIDI did not have the necessary funds to pay a €50 million bond maturing in a few weeks’ time.

The choice of venue appears far removed from Labour’s traditional roots.

Fort Tigné is surrounded by luxury multi-million-euro apartments, many owned by foreign nationals, in an area often cited as emblematic of Malta’s rapid overdevelopment, rising population density and changing social fabric.

Yet it seems the Prime Minister wants to milk what it sold as ‘a victory’, returning Manoel Island ‘to the people’.

If called, Abela’s snap elections would take place more than a year before they are due. Under Malta’s Constitution, Abela’s mandate would expire in August 2027,  three months after the current legislature ends on 7 May 2027.

It remains unclear why Abela would seek early elections, given the Labour Party’s description of strong economic performance, weak opposition, and favourable polling.