Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1405706
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 AUGUST 2021 INTERVIEW The PN's rejuvenation is a 'work In recent years, polls have consistently shown that the Nationalist Party still strug- gles to regain lost ground since the last election. Our latest survey in fact places the PN in almost exactly the same situation it was in June 2017. How do you account for this? Why is the Nationalist Party finding it so hard to regroup after that defeat? Part of the reason is that there were three years in which the Nationalist Party, internally, lost its focus on the country as a whole. I don't think it's the fault of the leadership, or of this or that person; but the reality is that, those internal arguments detracted the par- ty's attention from what was happening on a national level. And that, I think, is also where we gave space to other actors, to step in and focus on certain issues… But it also depends on how far you go back. Between 2008 and 2013, for instance, you could almost say the opposite happened. At the time the [Na- tionalist] government led by Lawrence Gonzi had a one-seat majority; and because of this, the PN arguably neglected its own, internal party affairs. So after 2013, I think the par- ty needed to do the opposite: it needed to focus more on itself as a party, before formulating its own political vision for the country. But with everything that was happening at the time –including the Panama papers, etc. – I think it simply didn't have enough time to put its house in order. On top of that, the leader at the time – Simon Busuttil – fo- cused his attention mainly on issues such as corruption and good governance; and perhaps did not focus enough on more 'bread-and-butter' issues. Then again, however: the truth is that, just a couple of weeks af- ter Adrian Delia took over [in October 2017], Daphne Carua- na Galizia was murdered – and that changed the face of Malta completely. As such, the party went through a certain period of soul-searching. And it was in this period that the survey and poll results were… let's just say, less positive that we had hoped. Even if, according to the most recent polls – the gap between the parties has in fact decreased, between now and this time last year… Perhaps, but it is still in line with the 2017 election result: i.e., the worst-ever defeat in the PN's history. And the next election cannot realistically be more than a few months away… Yes. But the situation in the party itself has changed, too… Has it really, though? Because those 'internal arguments' you mentioned appear to still be in full swing…. I don't deny that there are still internal issues; but what I meant was that we now have a team of officials in place – in- cluding new, but also experi- enced members – and our fo- cus is now totally on the next general election. In a few weeks' time, the Nationalist party's vi- sion for the country will come out clearer than ever: so as to convince those who – while sceptical of today's government – are still not convinced that the PN really does represent the sort of change they want. That, I think, is our main challenge at the moment: to convince those people that… the change we are proposing, is not merely a change for its own sake. It will be a change that will really allow this country to move forward…. You pre-empted a question I was going to ask anyway. Right now, the Labour govern- ment seems to be facing inter- nal issues of its own. The Mar- saskala marina project, for instance, has outraged resi- dents of that [traditionally La- bour-leaning] locality; as well as officials of the Labour Party itself. And yet, the National- ist party seems incapable of truly representing this cause: by, for instance, coming out directly against the project. Why is this? I think that the PN's position, on this issue, has been rather clear. Before even considering any public project, which is go- ing impact a particular group of people, the first thing you have to do is consult the peo- ple who will be affected. This is why Bernard Grech he said that, for starters, the proposal must be withdrawn; then, we must consult the residents of Marsaskala, and see what they themselves want for that locali- ty. That, in a nutshell, is the po- sition of the Nationalist Party. Nonetheless, there is a per- ception that both the Labour government, and the Nation- alist opposition, are really 'on the same page' when it comes to environmental issues. Both seem over-eager to appease and favour the same old com- mercial interests – which, ultimately, also denies the electorate any real choice. What, for instance, is the PN offering, to people who truly want to see a 'different way of doing politics'? I understand the sentiment of what you're saying; that there are a lot of people out there, who hold the environment dear, and who expect a clear political direction on where the PN stands… and this is al- so what I meant earlier, when I said that political change should not be just for its own sake. If there's no difference between the parties, what's the point of even choosing one over the other…? You've done a good job of re- phrasing the question, but… what's the answer? Why should the electorate choose the PN over Labour, anyway? I think that, with the adminis- trative team we have today, we are in the process of answering At 26 years of age, newly-elected PN secretary- general MICHAEL PICCININO arguably represents the younger, more forward-looking elements of the Nationalist Party. But can the party as a whole claw itself out of its current predicament, in time to mount a serious challenge at the next general election? Raphael Vassallo rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES BIANCHI