With Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech stepping down on Tuesday, June 10th, the question dominating Malta’s political circles is: Will Roberta Metsola run for prime minister?
The resignation clears the path for Metsola, who is currently the President of the European Parliament, to take charge of the Nationalist Party and challenge incumbent Prime Minister Robert Abela of the Labour Party in the March 2027 general election.
“She is seen as the solution because she is accepted by most factions within the party, her track record and policies have been resounding,” said a Nationalist Party official, who asked for anonymity.
A Times of Malta poll from February 2025 showed that almost half of Nationalist Party voters favored Metsola as leader, a full 15-point lead ahead of Grech.
Metsola has not responded to requests for comment. David Casa, Malta’s longest-serving MEP, suggested that she could continue in her European role where her leadership is also a service to the Nationalist Party, Malta, and the EU.
