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6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 13 JANUARY 2021 NEWS ANALYSIS Maria Efimova THE latest MaltaToday survey suggests that new PN leader Ber- nard Grech has completed the first stage of his strategy, recov- ering the same level of support as Simon Busuttil in 2017 by win- ning back the Delia sceptics and consolidating his hold among ter- tiary-educated voters. But this will surely not win him an election, leaving him at the risk of suffering a similar defeat as Lawrence Gonzi in 2013 and Simon Busuttil in 2017. And al- though few expect him to win the next election, his position as PN leader after the next election depends on narrowing this gap. Ironically, Grech can only achieve this by ditching the PN's reputa- tion as a losers' party, something which is hard to achieve for a par- ty with so few chances of winning. Enter Phase 2? For the first time the MaltaTo- day survey offers a glimpse of the second stage of Grech's trajectory, that of making small but signifi- cant gains among other catego- ries of voters – including Labour voters in 2017. In fact the survey shows 6% of PL voters in 2017 now intending to vote PN while only 2% of PN voters intend vot- ing PL. Even more significantly, 11% of PL voters in 2017 trust Grech more than Abela in con- trast to 6% of PN voters, who trust Abela more than Grech. Even if these gains hold on in the next months, this will not be enough for Grech to win the next election but it would put him in a better position to narrow the gap. But any gains Grech made in the survey may be flimsy and within the margin of error of the survey, even a reflection of post-Xmas COVID blues. In short, a post-vac- cine recovery may well trigger a feelgood factor which could erode any such gains. Therefore, any gains have to be confirmed in future surveys and it remains un- certain whether Grech has really embarked on his phase-2. What has Grech achieved? While it is perfectly possible that the tide could shift from one month to the next, Grech has consolidated his position within PN-leaning cohorts, winning back a clear majority in the northern and north harbour districts and among tertiary-educated vot- ers. But despite Grech's focus on Gozo, Abela and the PL retain their lead in the sister island. Indeed, despite the small shift in its favour, the PN is mostly mak- ing gains within its traditional co- horts and still finding it difficult to penetrate the southern and south eastern regions, and strategic co- horts like post-secondary and non-university voters where La- bour remains dominant. One trend which needs confir- mation in future surveys are PN gains among those aged 18-35, a very fluid category where Abela is still more trusted then Grech but where the PN now enjoys a slight lead. But weighing on the result is the fact that 21% of this category would abstain in a forthcoming election. Among this category a staggering 35% is either not voting or undecided and 28% trust nei- ther of the two leaders. Unity is strength What Grech has surely achieved is, without going into overdrive, The Grech method: Is Bernard Grech making inroads by not upsetting the apple cart with too many commitments or warlike declarations, letting Labour boil in the sauce of its own contradictions? JAMES DEBONO looks at MaltaToday's latest survey JAMES DEBONO MOVIMENT Graffitti has welcomed the over-500 objections to a drive-in cinema in fields near Marsascala's Torri Mamo, which the NGO described as outrageous. The project, proposed by landowner Martin Testaferrata Moroni Viani, involves the removal of soil from the land to make way for roughly 56 car spaces, an inflatable 16-by- eight-metre screen, a food kiosk, restrooms, staff room and a store. The cinema will be accessed from a narrow country lane connecting the fields to Triq id-Dahla ta' San Tumas. According to Moviment Graffitti a drive-in cinema in close proximity to two historic buildings, the other being the San Gaetano chapel, would ruin their historic charac- ter and no doubt pose a threat to the preservation of their historic context. Graffitti warned that the project could lead to further environmental degradation, soil erosion and degradation, noise and light pollution, and pose a threat to the historic buildings in the area. "Moreover, a drive-in cinema would attract a heavier flow of traffic, leading to an increase in fuel emissions and noise pollution, which would no doubt disturb the surrounding natural environment and habitats and completely change the rural character of the area". Graffitti raised doubts on the long-term sustainability of drive-in cinema once the pandemic is over, warning that "there's no bringing back the soil and farmland sacrificed for a seemingly useless enterprise". The Marsaskala local council and the cultural organisa- tion Wirt iz-Zejtun have already objected to the project. 500 objections to 'outrageous' Marsaskala drive-in cinema The area where the development is being proposed Torri Mamo in Marsaskala