Former Labour deputy leader George Abela will not be on the MLP’s European parliamentary candidates’ list next June. The former contender for party leadership has decided to back out from the EP elections, as senior Labour officials told MaltaToday that Abela had cited personal reasons for his decision.
He reported his decision not to contest after returning from a family holiday.
Abela’s decision effectively robs Labour of one of its more prominent and moderate voices, who was expected to take centre-stage in the upcoming European elections.
Party officials were quick to point out that the party will be fielding some well-known and ‘moderate’ candidates for the June election.
These may well include former Sea Malta chairman and entrepreneur Marlene Mizzi, as a possible boost to the women candidates in Labour’s list.
George Abela made a surprise comeback after 10 years away from Labour, returning with his leadership bid right after Labour’s narrow defeat at the polls earlier in March.
He had fallen out with then Prime Minister Alfred Sant, when during the party’s general conference in 1998 he warned it would be a mistake to call for an early election. Abela resigned soon after.
Returning after 10 years from the political wilderness, he surprisingly mustered support from Labour delegates against all odds, and was touted by political observers as the ‘winning’ horse for the Labour party.
He even managed to beat deputy leader Michael Falzon in the first round of the leadership elections.
But at the end of the day Labour delegates opted for Joseph Muscat, who had a more extensive network of party stalwarts backing his candidature.
Abela was a charismatic lawyer who struck a chord with middle of the road Labourites after his long stint at the helm of the Malta Football Association.
He formed part of the successful triumvirate together with Alfred Sant and George Vella, that led the Labour party to victory in 1996, and during its short two-year spell in government.
But Abela was uneasy with many of Alfred Sant’s decisions, namely the snap pre-electoral decision to remove VAT, reportedly without the consent of shadow finance minster Lino Spiteri; and the decision to freeze Malta’s application for European Union membership.
After the resignation of his close friend Lino Spiteri from finance minister, Abela appeared even more uncomfortable in his role as deputy leader for party affairs.
And after Labour’s defeat in 1998 and Sant’s re-election as Labour leader, he disappeared from politics and dedicated all his energies to his legal profession.

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