Youngest MEP in Malta Wins Election with Low Spending

– In a notable political debut, Malta’s youngest Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Thomas Bajada, emerged victorious with the lowest campaign expenditure among his peers, spending nearly €6,000 primarily on advertisements through Meta. The Electoral Commission's data, currently available only for the six elected Maltese MEPs, raises questions about the financing of their campaigns, as it remains unclear whether they self-funded or relied on small contributions. The highest spender among the MEPs was Labour incumbent Alex Agius Saliba, whose campaign costs reached approximately €48,800. A significant portion of his budget, nearly €30,000, was allocated to hiring services for grand rallies organized by TEC, alongside substantial expenses for lighting, staging, and live-streaming. Meanwhile, newly-elected Nationalist MEP Peter Agius incurred costs of just over €44,300, with notable expenditures on printing, press and social media ads, and campaign logistics. Other MEPs also reported considerable spending, with David Casa investing over €25,800 in press and social media advertising, while European Parliament President Roberta Metsola's campaign totaled just over €46,000. Metsola's expenses included over €9,100 on ads and significant costs for hiring and miscellaneous campaign activities, which encompassed audiovisual and rally expenses. Simona Mazzeo, a journalist at Brussels Morning News, continues to cover developments in the European Parliament, European Council, and European Commission, bringing her legal expertise and commitment to social advocacy to her reporting.