The father of Tourism Minister Jo Etienne Abela was reportedly forced to remove a social media post in which he launched a scathing attack on Energy Minister Miriam Dalli over the latest prolonged power cuts in Gozo.
Teddie Abela, 71, from Victoria, publicly criticised Dalli after large parts of Gozo were left without electricity for more than a day following two major faults in Enemalta’s high-voltage network.
“I am 71 years old, and I cannot remember a power cut lasting for so long,” Abela wrote.
Describing the situation as a disgrace in 2026, he directly challenged Dalli: “I don’t know how you are not ashamed to face the public.”
The blunt criticism was politically significant because it came from the father of one of Dalli’s Cabinet colleagues and appeared to reflect mounting frustration within Labour circles over repeated failures in the electricity distribution system.
According to the PN’s media outlet Net News, the post caused considerable unease at Labour Party headquarters.
Dalli’s canvassers allegedly pressured the party leadership to ensure Abela removed the message, while others within the party reportedly defended his comments and agreed that the energy minister had repeatedly failed.
The post was subsequently removed.
Teddie Abela’s deleated his post
Abela’s intervention followed an outpouring of public anger directed at Dalli after parts of Gozo were left without power for up to 26 hours during intense summer heat.
The outages affected residents, businesses, restaurants, hotels and tourists. Residents reported spoiled food and raised concerns about medicines requiring refrigeration, while elderly and vulnerable people were left stranded in buildings when lifts stopped operating.
Dalli faced thousands of hostile social media comments accusing her of incompetence and demanding her resignation.
Prime Minister Robert Abela has so far defended Dalli despite mounting calls for political accountability.
While Dalli bears political responsibility for the repeated failures in the electricity supply, the latest blackout is also the result of years of underinvestment in the distribution network and an economic model placing demands on the country’s infrastructure that it can no longer sustain.
