Dr Muscat’s party was re-elected after four years in office with more than 55% of the votes cast – reflecting Malta’s low unemployment, strong economic growth and substantial progress on social issues achieved under Labour. The turnout was 92.1%.
In his letter, Mr Stanishev said:
“The economic stability your government has secured has enabled unprecedented progress in social justice, including raising the minimum wage, creating new quality jobs and making huge strides forward in human rights and LGBTI equality.
“Malta remains a shining example of how a progressive social democratic government can improve people’s lives. We are proud of Malta’s accomplishments which benefit those who need them most, and we recommend other countries to follow suit in striking a balance between fiscal success and delivery on real social issues.
“Your victory is warmly deserved and I look forward to continuing to work alongside you as part of the Party of European Socialists.”
In separate elections in Latvia this weekend, the PES has also congratulated its member party Saskaņa sociāldemokrātiskā partija, led in Riga by Nils Ušakovs. Mr Ušakovs won Riga’s municipal elections with a landslide 50.8% of the vote – nearly four times the vote share of his nearest rival.
