Joseph Muscat joins Ian Borg’s crowd as Devil’s Pact is secured for the long-term

May 10, 2026

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Yesterday, disgraced ex-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat joined a mass rally by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ian Borg in Qormi. This was more about Labour Party politics than about the general election. Ian Borg doesn’t need Joseph Muscat to boost his numbers let alone to get elected. Minister Borg is the most senior politician in the Prime Minister’s cabinet, and enjoys heavyweight status in his district and also within the Labour Party. He’s also stronger than Chris Fearne was in Labour in 2019 and this means that Borg can sustain a challenge against Joseph Muscat within the party.

Minister Borg has conveniently chosen to apply the Devil’s Pact instead, and the presence of Joseph Muscat in his rally is a long-term assurance for Joseph Muscat that his party will keep protecting him in the future. This means that Minister Borg is no longer the alternative candidate within Labour.

This sudden turn of events may indicate that Prime Minister Robert Abela might not complete a full term in office. Ian Borg and Joseph Muscat were not on speaking terms as recently as last year, and even at social occasions they exchanged very few words. The fact that they are now communicating again suggests political convenience, and that convenience is nothing less than a future Labour Party leadership contest.

Ian Borg would be a preferable leadership candidate to Alex Agius Saliba by any standard, so it is not surprising that Joseph Muscat would favour Ian Borg. What will be surprising whether any Labour rebel would be ready to take on the task and challenge Ian Borg’s leadership bid head-on. The only two heavy-weights who have the capability of challenging Ian Borg would be Miriam Dalli and Clyde Caruana.

Miriam Dalli would not serve as an alternative candidate to Joseph Muscat in political terms and with her reputation for incompotence, she does not drive any inspiration for a powerful leadership bid. On the other hand, the soaring popularity of Minister Clyde Caruana after he ushered in his brand of Peronist economics, makes him very well placed to challenge any leadership bid put forward.