I am writing this prematurely but I sense Joseph Muscat has won the day. Why so? From my limited talks with ordinary Maltese voters, the extraordinary efforts made by the Labour government to raise the living standards of its poorest citizens was the key driver, especially from voters who might otherwise have voted Nationalist.

The efforts made to ensure that young people could enjoy better training across areas like IT has assured their future. The focus on lowering energy prices has also impacted the poor most favourably.

I have just arrived from Italy where the pump prices for petrol are 20 per cent higher and so the Maltese government has managed to control that type of expenditure. The cost of medicine has been driven ever lower and that benefits those of great risk who are ageing.

Muscat’s government did benefit from an economy that was bolstered by what Lawrence Gonzi and his Nationalist administration had done.

The past and the present have been unified by policies that continue to work well for those most in need.

The passion for politics in Malta is the highest in Europe and a 92 per cent turnout is extraordinary. The electorate is both intelligent and passionate. The new government will need to understand this and take firm action to eliminate the slightest hint of corruption in high places.

That is the Achilles heel of Malta and it needs urgent surgery to set matters straight and recover its financial reputation.

I congratulate the Maltese people on an election turnout that surpasses every other country in the world. There will be no acrimony, I am certain, and all will celebrate the result with feelings of great happiness and comradeship in the days ahead.