The father of Tourism Minister Jo Etienne Abela was reportedly forced to remove a social media post in which he launched a scathing attack on Energy Minister Miriam Dalli over the latest prolonged power cuts in Gozo.
Teddie Abela, 71, from Victoria, publicly criticised Dalli after large parts of Gozo were left without electricity for more than a day following two major faults in Enemalta’s high-voltage network.
“I am 71 years old, and I cannot remember a power cut lasting for so long,” Abela wrote.
Describing the situation as a disgrace in 2026, he directly challenged Dalli: “I don’t know how you are not ashamed to face the public.”
The blunt criticism was politically significant because it came from the father of one of Dalli’s Cabinet colleagues and appeared to reflect mounting frustration within Labour circles over repeated failures in the electricity distribution system.
According to the PN’s media outlet Net News, the post caused considerable unease at Labour Party headquarters.
Dalli’s canvassers allegedly pressured the party leadership to ensure Abela removed the message, while others within the party reportedly defended his comments and agreed that the energy minister had repeatedly failed.
The post was subsequently removed.
Abela’s intervention followed an outpouring of public anger directed at Dalli after parts of Gozo were left without power for up to 26 hours during intense summer heat.
The outages affected residents, businesses, restaurants, hotels and tourists. Residents reported spoiled food and raised concerns about medicines requiring refrigeration, while elderly and vulnerable people were left stranded in buildings when lifts stopped operating.
Dalli faced thousands of hostile social media comments accusing her of incompetence and demanding her resignation.
Prime Minister Robert Abela has so far defended Dalli despite mounting calls for political accountability.
While Dalli bears political responsibility for the repeated failures in the electricity supply, the latest blackout is also the result of years of underinvestment in the distribution network and an economic model placing demands on the country’s infrastructure that it can no longer sustain.
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So telling the truth about one’s feelings is now prohibited by the labour party!
Not sure whether to laugh or cry but they have turned this country into a third world country, moving forward to be the first to be declared a fourth world country!
Mr Abela senior is right. I am 67 and we’ll remember the bad old Labour days but even I cannot remember such a long power cut !! And why was he forced to remove the post! Minster DALLI should resign !! She is incompetent to run the ministry of energy , has held that post for years and STILL hasn’t solved the problem and all she does is blame the heatwave and praise the Enemalta workers. Sure THEY deserve praise but she should be fired !! If she had done her job they wouldn’t need to be out in the sweltering heat repairing overloaded cables because she didn’t sort out the grid in the past years she’s held her post. Minister Dalli do us all a favour and get lost !! You really should be ashamed to show your face and PRIME MINISTER please do YOUR JOB AND FIRE HER!! Then appoint somebody competent, rope in Infrastructure Malta, the finance ministry and a team of good electrical engineers ( we have excellent ones ) and give them 2 years and the finance they need, to fix this problem once and for all.
Although he was right, mr Abela should also mention the take over of St George square with tables and chairs while renting out his premises which in the meantime, his son as MTA minister takes no action!
ROBERT ABELA IS ALSO GUILTY AND ANOTHER CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICITY CUTS. YEAR AFTER YEAR HE RAIDED DALLI’S BUDGET ALLOCATION, OFTEN REMOVING MILLIONS AND DIVERTING THEM ELSEWHERE.
NOW SHE FACES THE FLAK AND HE GOES ON HIS BOAT.
HOW NICE OF HIM……..NO WONDER HE CAN’T SACK HER.
Pl cannot stand criticism from its own people. Censoring at its best. Was like that and always will be from what we are seeing. Pl did not change one bit.
Don’t be angry. This is what you voted for repeatedly for a long time now.
Enjoy it now.
Ahjar jara t tifel tieghu it tghaffig li ghamel fid dipartiment tas sahha u issa fit turizmu. L ghar ministru tas sahha li qatt kellha malta.