On 30 December 2017 the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea celebrated six years of Kim Jong-un in power. North Koreans were mobilised by their neighborhood watch units, the Inminban, to participate in the carefully choreographed event. Failure to attend and show enthusiasm for Kim's "great achievements" was seen as a sign of disloyalty and led to severe punishment. Those who didn't clap enthusiastically enough at the great leader's arrival were harshly dealt with later. The climax of the celebrations was the dear leader's speech and its visionary message to his people.
13 January 2026 marked the sixth anniversary of Robert Abela's ascent to power. Malta's Labour party was determined to put up a huge spectacle to honour the great leader. As Labour's lead in the polls shrunk and Abela's poll ratings tanked from 62.5% to just 43.6%, Labour needed to hype up the event to manifest the people's enthusiastic ecstasy for the leader.
Days ahead Labour's media machine started drumming up anticipation for the great event. "Preparations for next Saturday's event on the occasion of Robert Abela's sixth anniversary to be held under a big tent will include a beautiful spectacle with DJs and singers from 6pm. The climax will be the speech by the PM himself," Ray Falzon, a member of Labour's executive told the faithful on 5 January. Transport was being provided to bus people from all over the island and even from Gozo for the event. Ray Falzon was compelled to appeal "for everybody to join us for this very beautiful event and spectacle.... it's important that we hear the message that PM Robert Abela will be giving us". "The response for next Saturday is great," he assured Labour's loyal supporters. It turns out the response was not so great. His appeal must have fallen on deaf ears.
The following day, Labour doubled-down on its efforts to mobilise its supporters, particularly the young. Labour was in panic after the latest surveys showed that support for Labour amongst the younger generation had evaporated. Worse still the PN was ahead in the polls amongst 16-35 years old. So Labour dragged out Miguel Abela, the President of Labour's youth wing . "Preparations for the activity are intensifying," the Zghazagh Laburisti president announced. To try to spark some excitement, his Youth wing was organising two buscades, one from the north, another from the south - with popular DJs on board - and everything was free.
The climax of the evening, he emphasised, "will be the speech by the PM himself". "Next Saturday we want to send an important message that our party is still the natural home of Maltese and Gozitan youth. It is a thanksgiving to our PM Robert Abela on the sixth anniversary in his role - six years with their challenges but which were beautiful. They were six years during which the PM always listened to us young people".  It seems that strained effort didn't work either.
The following day Labour tried a different tactic. Norma Saliba turned up to excite the faithful. "More preparations for the activity commemorating Robert Abela's achievements as leader of the country and the Labour Party" ran ONE's headline. Saliba encouraged people to attend, reminding everybody that since his first days in office, Abela faced huge challenges "but with determination, care and unity he managed to successfully overcome all obstacles".
She maintained that everybody owed Abela their gratitude. "When you compare Malta with other countries, we know that our economic and social situation is so much better than other European countries. Therefore we are preparing this spectacle before and after the PM's speech to celebrate his achievements. There will also be a pre-party with DJ Ziggy, Kevin Abela's band and many other well-known singers.  After his speech there will be more music with DJ Ryan Spiteri. After the speech the celebrations will continue at La
Bottega in Valletta". Offering young people a few free drinks is Labour's latest tactic to entice them back into the fold. That's hardly going to work. And it didn't. Fearing a flop, Robert Abela's anniversary spectacle was postponed and the venue changed, ostensibly because of inclement weather.
But Labour kept trying. The following day, it was Labour's Chief Executive Leonid McKay's turn to jolt the faithful into action. He announced that the event would be held a week later on 16 January at the Kottonera Sports complex. The event would be huge, he predicted.
The next day Norma Saliba was back, doing her utmost to mobilise Labour's masses. Her tone was now more insistent - "On Friday we should be there to show our support for Robert Abela for his achievements during the last six years. We send a message by all being there...therefore I invite everybody to join us for this feast".
No matter how desperately officials hype up his sixth anniversary event, Abela will never reach the level of adulation his predecessor Joseph Muscat enjoyed. The
13 January 2026 marked the sixth anniversary of Robert Abela's ascent to power. Malta's Labour party was determined to put up a huge spectacle to honour the great leader. As Labour's lead in the polls shrunk and Abela's poll ratings tanked from 62.5% to just 43.6%, Labour needed to hype up the event to manifest the people's enthusiastic ecstasy for the leader.
Days ahead Labour's media machine started drumming up anticipation for the great event. "Preparations for next Saturday's event on the occasion of Robert Abela's sixth anniversary to be held under a big tent will include a beautiful spectacle with DJs and singers from 6pm. The climax will be the speech by the PM himself," Ray Falzon, a member of Labour's executive told the faithful on 5 January. Transport was being provided to bus people from all over the island and even from Gozo for the event. Ray Falzon was compelled to appeal "for everybody to join us for this very beautiful event and spectacle.... it's important that we hear the message that PM Robert Abela will be giving us". "The response for next Saturday is great," he assured Labour's loyal supporters. It turns out the response was not so great. His appeal must have fallen on deaf ears.
The following day, Labour doubled-down on its efforts to mobilise its supporters, particularly the young. Labour was in panic after the latest surveys showed that support for Labour amongst the younger generation had evaporated. Worse still the PN was ahead in the polls amongst 16-35 years old. So Labour dragged out Miguel Abela, the President of Labour's youth wing . "Preparations for the activity are intensifying," the Zghazagh Laburisti president announced. To try to spark some excitement, his Youth wing was organising two buscades, one from the north, another from the south - with popular DJs on board - and everything was free.
The climax of the evening, he emphasised, "will be the speech by the PM himself". "Next Saturday we want to send an important message that our party is still the natural home of Maltese and Gozitan youth. It is a thanksgiving to our PM Robert Abela on the sixth anniversary in his role - six years with their challenges but which were beautiful. They were six years during which the PM always listened to us young people".  It seems that strained effort didn't work either.
The following day Labour tried a different tactic. Norma Saliba turned up to excite the faithful. "More preparations for the activity commemorating Robert Abela's achievements as leader of the country and the Labour Party" ran ONE's headline. Saliba encouraged people to attend, reminding everybody that since his first days in office, Abela faced huge challenges "but with determination, care and unity he managed to successfully overcome all obstacles".
She maintained that everybody owed Abela their gratitude. "When you compare Malta with other countries, we know that our economic and social situation is so much better than other European countries. Therefore we are preparing this spectacle before and after the PM's speech to celebrate his achievements. There will also be a pre-party with DJ Ziggy, Kevin Abela's band and many other well-known singers.  After his speech there will be more music with DJ Ryan Spiteri. After the speech the celebrations will continue at La
Bottega in Valletta". Offering young people a few free drinks is Labour's latest tactic to entice them back into the fold. That's hardly going to work. And it didn't. Fearing a flop, Robert Abela's anniversary spectacle was postponed and the venue changed, ostensibly because of inclement weather.
But Labour kept trying. The following day, it was Labour's Chief Executive Leonid McKay's turn to jolt the faithful into action. He announced that the event would be held a week later on 16 January at the Kottonera Sports complex. The event would be huge, he predicted.
The next day Norma Saliba was back, doing her utmost to mobilise Labour's masses. Her tone was now more insistent - "On Friday we should be there to show our support for Robert Abela for his achievements during the last six years. We send a message by all being there...therefore I invite everybody to join us for this feast".
No matter how desperately officials hype up his sixth anniversary event, Abela will never reach the level of adulation his predecessor Joseph Muscat enjoyed. The