Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1322776
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 DECEMBER 2020 NEWS Christmas specials • MaltaToday surveys of a PN that was riven by in- ternal fighting that eventually led to a change of leadership in October. Part of the substantial ad- vantage the PL enjoyed throughout the year could be attributed to the PN's inability to convince even its own voters. In the seven months between Feb- ruary and Septem- ber, the PN under A d r i a n D e l i a r e g i s - t e r e d a n a v - e r - age of 22%. In March, as Delia faced his first open revolt for the year, the PN registered its worst result in three years at 19.1%. After Bernard Grech's elec- tion to leader at the start of October, the PN saw its sup- port increase. In the last three months of the year, the Opposition party registered an average of 30.9% as Grech managed to sway back PN dissenting voters. The change in leadership gave the PN a boost but the gap with Labour remained daunting. By the end of 2020 the state of play between the two major parties returned to what it was in the 2017 general election, which Labour won by a margin of more than 35,000 votes. To have a fighting chance in the next general election, the PN has to start convincing people who voted PL to shift allegiance. With time not on his side, this is Grech's biggest challenge in 2021. And it will not be easy because Abela maintained a relatively high trust rating throughout 2020 even if the Prime Minis- ter lost some of his lustre in the final three months. Abela registered an average trust rating of 47.3% between October and December, while Grech chalked up an average of 30.8%. The interplay between both leaders is still new and it has to be seen whether these results will represent the new normal in 2021. To have a fighting chance in the next general election, the PN has to start convincing people who voted PL to shift allegiance. With time not on his side, this is Grech's biggest challenge in 2021