The Labour Party and the Nationalist Party are running almost level in the latest MaltaToday survey, the first published since the general election held last May. Vote intention now gives the two sides practically identical figures, leaving the post-election gap largely gone. Where the parties separate is the trust question, and there Prime Minister Robert Abela stays clearly ahead of his rival. Abela's lead in personal confidence gives Labour an advantage that survives even a tied party vote. For the PN, matching Labour on voting intention counts as real progress as it tries to rebuild after its defeat. Turning that polling parity into seats, though, remains the harder part of the job for the opposition. Further survey rounds will show whether the near tie holds or one side breaks away in the months ahead. The numbers point to a political term in which the government can no longer lean on a comfortable polling cushion.