Why the Election Feels Unreal: A Maltese Perspective

As I walked down Republic Street in Valletta yesterday, the usual election buzz was noticeably absent. No loudspeakers blaring party manifestos, no colourful posters plastered on walls, no eager candidates shaking hands. Instead, there was an eerie calm, punctuated only by the occasional masked passerby. Welcome to Malta’s 2021 election campaign, like no other we’ve seen before.

An Election in a Pandemic: The Unseen Campaign

COVID-19 has rewritten the rulebook for political campaigns worldwide. Here in Malta, it’s no different. Traditional door-to-door canvassing has been replaced by virtual town halls. Public rallies have been swapped for socially distanced press conferences. The usual election hustle and bustle has been replaced by a quiet, almost surreal, campaign.

Take the Labour Party’s launch of their manifesto, for instance. Instead of the usual packed hall, it was a virtual event streamed live from their headquarters in Santa Venera. The Opposition Nationalist Party, too, has had to adapt, using Facebook Live to reach out to voters. It’s a far cry from the lively, in-your-face campaigns we’ve seen in the past.

Voting in a Pandemic: The Logistics

But it’s not just the campaign that feels unreal. The voting process itself has been turned on its head. With health and safety measures in place, voting booths have been widened to allow for social distancing. Sanitising stations and face masks will be provided at all 139 polling stations. And for those who can’t make it to the polls, there’s the option to vote by post.

Yet, despite these measures, there’s a sense of unease. How will the pandemic affect voter turnout? Will the new voting procedures cause any delays or disruptions? These are questions that hang in the air, unanswered, as we approach election day.

Politics in a Pandemic: The Issues

Then there are the issues. The pandemic has dominated the agenda, overshadowing other important topics like the economy, education, and migration. While parties have tried to address these issues, it’s hard to escape the fact that this election is, in many ways, a referendum on how the government has handled the COVID-19 crisis.

Labour, in power since 2013, is pointing to its swift response to the pandemic, including the successful vaccination drive. The Nationalists, meanwhile, have been critical of the government’s handling of the crisis, arguing that it has been too slow to react and too heavy-handed in its response.

But with the pandemic still very much a part of our daily lives, it’s hard to imagine that this election will be anything but surreal. It’s an election like no other, a campaign like no other, a voting process like no other. And as I walked down Republic Street, I couldn’t help but wonder: what will our ‘new normal’ look like, come March 10?