When Prime Minister Robert Abela announced he would be calling a snap election, my first reaction was simple: Here we go again.

This was only the second general election I would be voting in, yet it already felt markedly different from the first. Perhaps that is because I now follow politics more closely through my work as a journalist, or perhaps because age naturally brings a greater awareness of what is actually at stake beyond slogans and mass meetings.

But this election differed in another important way, that it was Malta’s first general election in the age of mainstream artificial intelligence.

Suddenly, political discourse was no longer confined to television debates, newspaper interviews, or Facebook arguments. Instead, we were watching AI-generated videos of political figures in absurd scenarios – from Robert Abela and Alex Borg fighting in a UFC match while Dom Mintoff stepped in to break it up, to satirical TikToks featuring Alex Borg listening to viral hit ‘Irmied u ġebel’.

I will admit some of them were genuinely funny. They provided comic relief from the relentless seriousness and hostility that dominate Maltese political discourse, particularly on Facebook.

At the same time, however, they revealed something deeper about how political parties now communicate and who they are trying to reach.

TikTok vs Facebook

As a Maltese and linguistics graduate, one thing I could not help noticing throughout this campaign was how differently political parties approached each social media platform.

Media-literate users already understand that Facebook and TikTok serve entirely different audiences in Malta. Facebook remains the domain of older generations and is generally treated as a more serious political space. TikTok, meanwhile, is dominated by younger users, where humour, trends and relatability often matter more than polished political messaging.

Both major parties clearly recognised this distinction.

The Labour Party, particularly through its youth arm, leaned heavily into TikTok culture. Its content ranged from clips of the Prime Minister greeting supporters to trend-based videos using viral audio and memes. The Nationalist Party also experimented with trends, though more cautiously and less consistently.

What fascinated me most, however, was the use of language.

The more meme-driven content was often in English, likely because internet humour itself is heavily English-speaking and globally influenced. Yet official announcements, speeches and serious political messaging remained firmly in Maltese.

That reaction says a great deal about Malta itself. Despite globalisation, despite TikTok trends, and despite younger generations increasingly consuming English-language media, the Maltese language still carries emotional and cultural weight when politics becomes serious, and I don’t think that the political parties will make the mistake of writing statements exclusively in English. I can already hear the furious typing of ‘mela insejtu l-Malti?’

Politics as personality

One thing this election reaffirmed is that Maltese politics often remains deeply personal rather than ideological.

Coming from Żejtun, it is no secret that much of my family background leans towards the Labour Party. During election season, conversations inevitably revolve around proposals, scandals, polling predictions, and – obviously – criticism of the opposing side.

What struck me most was not necessarily what people believed, but why they believed it.

In one conversation, a Labour supporter explained their dislike of Alex Borg as a potential leader. Curious, I asked why. I expected a discussion about policy, governance, or political strategy.

Instead, the answer was: “You never see him interacting with children at mass meetings. Look at Robert – he does that. It shows he’s more sympathetic.”

Moments like these reveal how much Maltese politics still revolves around personality, familiarity and emotional perception rather than substantive debate.

Whether we like it or not, political relatability often matters more than policy detail.

The younger generation’s frustration

Among younger voters, however, I notice a very different tone.

Many expressed distrust towards both major parties, often citing corruption scandals and events they consider unforgivable, from the handling of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia to the controversy surrounding the public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia.

At 23 years old, these are defining political memories for many in my generation. We grew up under this administration, meaning these controversies shaped our political consciousness.

Yet conversations with older Labour supporters painted a very different picture. Many spoke about children’s allowances, energy subsidies, tax reductions and improved living standards as reasons for their loyalty to the party.

And perhaps that is where the generational divide truly lies.

Younger generations, having grown up with these benefits already in place, may take them for granted. Older generations, who remember life before them, view them as tangible achievements worth protecting.

Neither perspective is entirely wrong. But they are fundamentally different ways of understanding politics.

The (mostly) forgotten conversation

Throughout the campaign, while others focused on traffic, housing and social policy, I found myself paying particular attention to one issue close to my heart, Maltese language. To my disappointment but no surprise, it barely featured.

The Nationalist Party presented no notable proposals related to the language, while the Labour Party included a handful. That is a start, but far from enough.

Before introducing ambitious initiatives, however, perhaps the government should first ensure that official communications are properly proofread. It is difficult to promote respect for Maltese when government correspondence is often riddled with spelling and orthographic mistakes.

The proposal to provide free translation services to companies is positive, but language preservation requires more than visibility campaigns and promotional initiatives. It requires investment in people actively studying, developing and modernising the language itself.

Malta urgently needs updated linguistic resources, including a modern, accessible online Maltese dictionary. Preserving a language is not simply about celebrating it symbolically; it is about ensuring it evolves and remains usable in modern life.

The third-party question

Finally, this election also renewed discussion around Malta’s political duopoly.

ADPD and Momentum have worked together during this campaign, with each party telling its supporters to give their subsequent vote to one of these two parties. This gave some voters hope that Malta might finally see third-party representation in Parliament.

Whether that hope materialises remains uncertain as tribal political loyalty runs deep.

But perhaps the mere fact that people are increasingly discussing alternatives is itself significant.

Final thoughts

This election campaign highlighted many contradictions within Maltese society.

We consume politics as entertainment while simultaneously complaining about the lack of seriousness in public discourse. We distrust politicians yet remain emotionally attached to political tribes. We criticise younger generations for disengagement while speaking to them almost entirely through memes.

And somewhere between TikTok trends, AI-generated satire, mass meetings and Facebook arguments, the real questions about Malta’s future continue to fight for attention.

Once the memes fade, those questions will remain.