Political debate takes place at Sir Temi Zammit Hall ahead of 2026 General Election

As Malta gears up for an early general election set to take place at the end of May 2026, a major political debate between the leaders of the parties contesting it was held at Sir Temi Zammit Hall within the University of Malta campus in Msida. 

The debate marked the first major face-off of the campaign involving the leaders of Malta’s political parties, drawing large crowds of university students eager to hear the politicians debate key national issues ahead of the vote. The atmosphere inside the packed hall was lively throughout, with students erupting into cheers and jeers at several points during the discussion. 

Five party leaders took part, each standing behind a podium on stage. From left to right, the participants were Sandra Gauci representing ADPD, Robert Abela for the Labour Party (PL), Arnold Cassola representing Momentum, Alex Borg for the Nationalist Party (PN), and Paul Salomone representing Aħwa Maltin. 

The event was organised by the Malta University Debating Union (MUDU), a joint initiative between the University of Malta and KSU - Kunsill Studenti Universitarji. MUDU described the debate as this year’s University General Election Debate, aimed at giving students the opportunity to engage directly with political leaders ahead of the election.  

The debate was moderated by Chloë Cauchi, a lawyer, Malta’s Senior United Nations Youth Delegate and Vice President of the European Youth Forum. Cauchi is also the former President of Malta Model United Nations (MaltMUN), served as International Officer within the Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ (KNŻ), and is known as a public speaking trainer, JCI Europe Public Speaking Champion, and youth activist focusing on climate, human rights, and youth representation. 

During the debate, party leaders answered both pre-determined questions related to themes central to the general election campaign, as well as questions fielded directly from students in the audience. The themes discussed throughout the evening were selected by students themselves and covered a broad range of national issues.

Among the topics debated were Education and Youth, as well as sustainability, construction safety regulations and overdevelopment. Leaders were also challenged on the support of non-Catholic religions within schools and environmental degradation.

Each participant concluded the debate with a closing statement aimed at appealing to Malta’s young voters. University students remain a significant voting demographic, particularly after Malta’s Parliament unanimously approved a constitutional amendment in 2018 allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in general elections.

If you haven’t watched yet or want to catch up on the proceedings of the debate, you can follow the livestream online.