Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1297549
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 OCTOBER 2020 INTERVIEW no longer PN leader. It's not about where you are in life; it's about who you are. To put it another way: when I fought against corruption in Maltese football… I didn't do it because I was party leader. You don't have to be a party leader, to fight against injustice. On the contrary: the very fact that you are fighting these battles because you believe in justice – and not because you stand to gain any political ben- efit or advantage – can only strengthen your credibility. And it's the same with de- mocracy. Three years ago, the party delegates elected a leader: not just for the sake of it, but for that leader to serve the full five-year term. If I believed in democracy back then… do I stop believing in democracy, just because the voted against me this time round? No. So today, when 67% of the tesserati chose someone else to lead the party: that decision has to be respected. It has to be fought for. We have to say, 'we are loyal to the party, and therefore to the tesserati's de- cision… and therefore, to the leader.' That's why, literally min- utes before the result was an- nounced – because it was clear where things were going – I made an appeal for the decision to be respected. And I said I am ready to offer my full loyalty to my new party leader – and I salute him from here – but also that we have to protect him from those who will try to hinder him from working… from those who want to be the ones to dictate matters, and set the party's agenda for him… as they did to me. You seem to be suggesting that the same people who worked against you as party leader, will go on to similarly shackle Bernard Grech. Do you think that Grech will suffer your same fate? It's not me who's saying that; they're saying it themselves. Earlier, you mentioned Manuel Delia. On his blog, he wrote [something along the lines of]: 'we put you [Bernard Grech] where you are; so if you want to stay there, you had better to do what we tell you.' Since when is the Nationalist Party owned by Manuel Delia? Or by Repub- blika? Or by 'Occupy Justice'… who have now, by that argu- ment, become 'Occupy PN'? I don't believe in that kind of politics. I believe that the par- ty leader should be given the space and authority to serve his full term. So Bernard Grech should not give in to any pres- sure; he should not be forced to accept an agenda set for him by others. On the contrary: he has to be his own man; his own leader. And I will protect, de- fend and help him to do that… You seem to be echoing a point made by Joseph Muscat this week: that the same 'klik- ka' which worked against you, will now turn their guns onto the new leader. Isn't it ironic that you and the former La- bour prime minister are using the same argument? I didn't watch the Joseph Muscat interview. All I can say is that, when it comes to Joseph Muscat, what interests me is not 'what he thinks about the Nationalist Party'. It is how he managed to take a country that had a golden reputation, and cast it into the abyss of international opprobrium and condemnation. How we had a strong economy, and he man- aged to wreck it. How he spent years playing the populist card, and now suddenly comes out in favour of abortion. That's what interests me about Joseph Muscat… not his views about the PN. One last question: and it's a personal one, if you don't mind. Your three-year stint as Nationalist Party leader has undeniably taken its toll. It has arguably cost you your mar- riage, your family life… even your home, as attested by re- ports that you were sleeping at the PN headquarters. Look- ing back on it all today… was it worth it, in the end? First of all – and maybe I'm pouring out here – I honestly wouldn't want anyone else to go through the same experience… that, when people cannot win you over you by arguments, or persuasion, or a hundred other things, they resort to threats, or attacking your family. I won't say 'it's not fair' - be- cause let's face it: life isn't fair – but how can we ever hope to at- tract people to politics, if at the same time we show them that, when people do try to make a contribution – however big, small, good or bad – we destroy them, and destroy the people around them? Who will ever be attracted to politics this way? I myself might be very strong; but those other people – my friends, my family, and so on – maybe they're not that strong. And they will continue to suf- fer. […] But to go back to your question: was it all worth it? [Pause] I lost… and believe me, I lost a lot… but the truth is, I also gained. 'In giving, there is taking'… because you also dis- cover loyalties that you never knew about before. You realise that there are people out there – old acquaintances, perhaps, that you haven't been in touch with in years – who, at the mo- ment of need, will be there for you. Until just yesterday, I had the privilege of going into people's homes; and within five min- utes, they would start confiding even their most personal and intimate issues…because they believe they can trust me. They believe I can help them, or give them hope… I also have the privilege of not having given up. Those people who trusted me, who want- ed me [to stay on leader]… I didn't fail them. I may not have succeeded in getting to where they wanted me to be; but what is certain is that I continued fighting for what I believe in; and I will continue to fight.. even more so now than before, in fact. So to answer you bluntly: I have no regrets; and if I had to do it all over again… I would. Maybe I'm pouring out here – I honestly wouldn't want anyone else to go through the same experience… that, when people cannot win you over you by arguments, or persuasion, or a hundred other things, they resort to threats, or attacking your family