Voters in Malta cast their ballots on May 30th in a general election likely to secure a record-setting fourth term for the Labour government, despite concerns about over-construction and corruption in the tiny Mediterranean nation.

The current prime minister called an early general election one month ago, in April. 

Opinion polls point to a win for Prime Minister Robert Abela, who is campaigning on Labour’s economic record and a promise to shield import-heavy Malta from geopolitical crises. His main rival is Nationalist Party (PN) candidate Alex Borg, a 30-year-old lawyer, who would be the country’s youngest leader.

At final rallies on May 28th, Abela told flare-waving supporters that he would be a captain as strong as steel, while Borg slammed a country in chaos, from a beleaguered health service to blackouts in sweltering summers.

The island has a thriving economy based largely on tourism, online gaming, and financial services, and many voters say its economic performance trumps all other concerns.