Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1394633
THE Nationalist Party's decision to rope in Christian Peregin, as its new chief strat-eg- ist, has been met with wildly diverse reac- tions. Many welcomed the development as an in- dication that – contrary to public per-cep- tions – the PN, under its new leadership, is indeed successfully shaking off its tradition- al reputation as an arch-conservative party, with little or no appeal among the younger, more liberal demographic. Others, however, questioned the wisdom of resorting to a media professional the first place - pointing out, among other things, that the same idea had been tried before, without success, with the appointment of Caroline Muscat in 2016. However one interprets the appointment, though: it is clearly an attempt to draft in new talent in a party that has stultified – specifically, for lack of 'new blood' - over the years. And regardless of any individual doubts, or outright antagonism this decision may also entail: few would deny that the Nationalist Party – which Peregin rightly de-scribed as a 'shadow of its former self' – needs to some- how address this problem, once and for all. Besides: Peregin's engagement also comes on the back of attempts by the par- ty to change its back guard. Francis Zam- mit Dimech is currently making way for the 26-year-old Michael Piccinino as secretary general; Mark-Anthony Sammut has been elected president of the general council; and some new faces have been elected to the ex- ecutive, here are there. Such changes are indeed necessary, if Mal- ta's main Opposition Party is to eventu-ally emerge from its current electoral quagmire. But to be truly effective, the peo-ple in- volved have to be given the space to express themselves and influence the agenda. It is from this perspective that the doubts regarding Peregin are most cogent. There can be no doubt that his skills set – already placed in evidence in the media circuit - will help to give the PN more bite in its image- ry, coherent messaging, and general delivery and outreach. But his ability to read the mind-set of party functionaries and supporters, coming from very different backgrounds to his own, will also undoubtedly be put to the test. So, too, will his ability to address the prob- lems faced by the PN: problems which are well-known to one and all (even if some within the party refuse to acknowledge them.) For years now, the Nationalist Party has been struggling to connect with people in the south; it has alienated the hunting com- munity, lost its primacy in Gozo, and is cur- rently beholden to a faction fixated on mak- ing corruption the only important is-sue. In a nutshell, it seems unable to get a feel of the people's pulse. But underlying all these difficulties, and more, is an identity crisis the PN has been struggling with since Malta joined the EU. With no overarching 'cause celebre' that smothers over internal differences in opin- ion, the PN's failure to have an honest dis- cussion on its core values, what it stands for, and what sort of Malta it would like to see, has left the party rudder-less. This is why Peregin joining the PN ma- chine, at this stage, does feel like putting the cart before the horse. First and foremost, the PN has an identity crisis that needs resolv- ing: and not glossing over, which would only serve to paper the cracks. It is not enough to appoint a liberal media strategy advisor: the PN also needs set out a clear vision on civil liberties, the economy, taxation, the environment, immi-gration, education, and a host of other macro-issues. It also needs to be responsive to the mi- cro needs of people, and the community at large. And to do so, the party has to open up its doors. It needs to listen. It needs to understand. And then, based on the princi- ples it holds dear, it has to chart out a way forward that addresses the needs of today's communities. This exercise requires much more than a superficial veneer of gloss and glitz. It re- quires an outreach to society at large; and also, a return to the party's soul. The problem, however, is that the PN has already wasted far too much time, since distant 2013. Meanwhile, rushing this soul-searching exercise through in just one year - when it should be preparing for a gen- eral election - may not be ideal, either. This is why the PN needs more than just a newly-appointed chief strategist – tal-ented though he may be - to present a vision and direction of its own. For ultimate-ly, voters will not be looking at Peregin, when the time comes. His will be neither the face, nor the voice, of the PN at the next election. No, voters will be looking at the party lead- er: which is why it has to be Bernard Grech himself to finally step up to the table, and show some mettle. An identity crisis, first and foremost 11 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday MaltaToday, MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR: MATTHEW VELLA EDITOR: PAUL COCKS Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 21 JULY 2021