Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1278887
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 AUGUST 2020 NEWS his previous anti-EU membership stance. Like EU membership, equal marriage and divorce are now both a done deal which cannot be reversed. The problem for Grech is his disposi- tion towards liberal reforms like canna- bis legalisation, which may still be in the pipeline. And while Robert Abela may be less keen than Muscat consider venturing towards abortion legalisation, Grech may find him-self tested by a more pluralistic civil society which includes activists who agree with him on defending the common good in the case of environmental and so- cial issues, but favour personal autonomy and freedoms. Grech will have to decide how pluralistic the PN can be on these issues. Any politi- cal leader has to live with a reality where, although most PN voters are to various degrees conservative, the party cannot win without voters who are to various degrees liberal. Alienating a cohort who could potentially vote PN on the basis of other is-sues like the economy and good governance would be suicidal, especially in the absence of an overriding battle-cry like EU membership which had kept the coalition of liberals and conservatives united. 5.The party lacks a compelling vision. He needs to spell it out Delia never managed to set the tone for his vision. His most notable stands were trying to turn the MEP elections into some abortion referendum and lambast the island's economic dependency on foreign workers. Yet even these positions were not articulated in a cohesive narra- tive. Grech's first declarations suggest that the defence of the "common good" is his starting point, but that association with the 2011 anti-divorce campaign could rankle. The theme has to be expanded to good governance, the protection of the countryside and other resources, and the duty to ensure the sustainability of free healthcare and pensions for future gen- erations. Grech will face questions on how far he will be willing to restrain market forces to protect the common good: the PN has often found itself running with the hares and hunting with the dogs in the very rare occasions where Labour tried to restrain market forces, as was recently the case with the rent laws, where the party op- posed the enforcement powers granted to the Housing Authority. Grech's vision needs experts from vari- ous fields who can give the party a sense of gravitas in its dealings with civil socie- ty. Once again this depends on the party's ability to appeal to technocrats to flesh out a vision, and even that depends on whether Grech gains traction in the polls in the months to come. Only progress can save the party from being shunned and ostracised. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Hitting the right notes Where does Bernard Grech's high trust rating come from? Family guy Married 23 years to Annemarie, father of two children aged 21 and 19. The couple has addressed meetings and seminars of the Cana Movement, a Catholic organisation that prepares couples for marriage. Like Eddie Fenech Adami and Lawrence Gonzi before him (and unlike Simon Busuttil, separated, or Adrian Delia, whose marriage broke down after being elected leader) he conforms to traditional family norms, fitting the expected profile of the conservative centre-right leader. Relationship stability can be an asset, but overplaying this aspect can be counter-productive in a society that includes many family models. Born in the south, lives in the north Born in Paola in 1971, he grew up in Birzebbuga, part of the fifth district where the PN has been in decline for more than a decade. He now lives in Mosta. The MT survey shows him more popular among party members in the 5th and 10th districts, indicating an ability to resonate with two very different types of PN voters, the bourgeois Sliema voter who shuns Delia and the working-class southern vote who was more loyal. Grech may have a clearer idea why so many southern voters have abandoned the PN, while consolidating support in the party's northern heartlands. He is the cousin of Labour martyr Karin Grech With Labour voters he shares the anguish and collective grief at the unsolved murder of his cousin Karin Grech, when he was six years old. In a debate last year, Bernard Grech claimed that the murder remains unresolved due to several mistakes carried out in the initial investigations. He is not shunned by the Daphne vigil crowd He may not be high on the list for Delia replacements, but those who regularly go to the Daphne vigils commemorating the assassinated journalist can live with him as PN leader. He spoke at a vigil in June invited in which he compared people who believe Malta is a "normal country" to flat-earthers and urged Labour supporters to join in the fight for Malta's "normality". Unlike Delia, he can reach out to this vociferous and persistent crowd while still relating to traditional Nationalist voters who felt Daphne was too liberal, snobbish or audacious for their tastes. He has the Xarabank factor As a regular panelist on TVM's most popular Friday night show, he is now a household name, being teamed up with Joe Giglio in the PN-friendly tag team of lawyers versus Labour's Robert Musumeci and Andy Ellul. Hard- hitting but respectful, his style earned him kudos. Catholic civil society roots He was part of the anti-divorce Zwiegw Bla Divorzju movement, probably off-putting for liberal voters. But it solidifies his appeal among conservative voters who represent a majority in the PN. He would now have to focus on reaching out to other groups of voters. He can also relate to civil society coalitions opposing development projects as he did in 2015 when joining the campaign against a proposed shooting range in Busbesija in the vicinity of a Jesuit retreat. Grech also involved himself in voluntary work. Not part of any PN administration Like Delia he is an outsider who never previously contested an election and was not even involved in party structures, so he cannot be blamed for mistakes of the past, insulating him from Labour attempts to discredit the Opposition by resurrecting past scandals. But this also raises doubts on his familiarity with the workings of a political party as complex as the PN. To become familiar, he is already forging alliances with those who know the party inside out. No personal baggage… yet His closet looks clean, except for the ungainly crooning on an Air Malta ad in which he belted out 'O Sole Mio' alongside tenor Joseph Calleja. That means Grech's appearance on the l-Istrina telethon will come with an aria. Lack of controversy would make him an ideal leader to lead the charge on corruption for the simple reason that he is not compromised, like Delia.