Malta’s Labour Party has secured a historic fourth consecutive term in office, according to a ballot sample count released on Sunday, handing outgoing Prime Minister Robert Abela another electoral victory. Preliminary figures indicated that Labour had retained power, election officials said.Abela and his Labour Party are betting on economic stability, as the smallest EU nation recorded the fastest GDP growth at 4% last year. Malta has a very low inflation, and there is no real unemployment. Electricity and fuel prices are also the lowest in Europe and have been so for the last 10 years.Abela’s administration has managed to shield the small Mediterranean island from global crises, especially from the immediate consequences of the conflict in the Middle East.