Campaigning started in Malta on Monday as the president formally dissolved parliament and called for March 9 elections, which could see power shifting to the centre-left for the first time in 15 years.
Malta, the European Union's smallest state, has been ruled by the centre-right Nationalist Party since 1998. But polls show the party trailing the centre-left Labour Party by eight percentage points.
Early elections were called after the government lost a crucial budget vote in December. The outgoing prime minister, Lawrence Gonzi, could have otherwise stayed in office until June.
Launching his campaign, Gonzi spoke of creating thousands of jobs despite the crisis that has gripped Europe. On the other hand, Labour leader Joseph Muscat pledged to break with the divisive policies he claimed had been pursued by his rival.