Malta's 15th Parliament to open Saturday in record time

Prime Minister Robert Abela has confirmed that Malta's 15th Parliament will sit on Saturday 20 June, roughly three weeks after election day — the shortest gap between a general election and a parliamentary opening in the country's history. The 14th legislature, by comparison, opened on 7 May 2022, six weeks after polls closed on 26 March that year.

Before Saturday's session, casual elections scheduled for Tuesday will fill seats vacated by Nationalist Party MPs who were returned in two districts. Once those results are confirmed, the gender-corrective mechanism will add 12 women to Parliament, completing the chamber's composition for the new legislature. Abela has framed the compressed timetable as a deliberate signal.

At the administration's first Cabinet meeting, ministers were instructed to begin delivering the Labour Party's 'Int Malta' manifesto without delay. "The move sends a clear message that the government intends to begin implementing its electoral manifesto immediately," he said. One of the most prominent early legislative priorities is broadening access to pre-implantation genetic testing on embryos in the context of IVF treatment.

Six requests for such testing have been submitted since the 2022 IVF bill passed — legislation that drew condemnation from the Catholic Church and a 'no' vote from current opposition leader Alex Borg. Further commitments include establishing a Commission for the Protection of Fundamental Human Rights and Civil Rights and reforming the rules governing voluntary organisations.

On land, the new administration has moved to protect a substantial area of agricultural land at Bulebel and intends to allow farmers to apply for title to the land they cultivate. Abela also reiterated a commitment to keep electricity and gas prices stable despite ongoing international pressures. Among the larger infrastructure ambitions set out for the legislature are the Msida Creek project, a revitalisation of the Grand Harbour, and the Malta in Motion transport plan.

Abela also cautioned against what he called "dangerous narratives" that could build and lead to a "total regression" on rights secured in recent years, defending pride marches in the process. He did not name any individual or identify a specific issue in those remarks. The comments came days after newly elected Nationalist MP Conrad Borg Manché — a former Labour member — told MaltaToday that pride marches were unnecessary and that children should not be exposed to queer realities.

An amendment passed with unanimous parliamentary support enshrined in Malta's constitution a prohibition on discrimination based on gender identity.