Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1466079
8 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 27 APRIL 2022 BERNARD Grech has clearly warned that in the absence of a radical restruc- turing of the party's finances, the party does not even have the liquidity required to contest upcoming European and local elections. Not only is the party indebted to the tune of €32 million but the party media is also losing thousands of euros every month. His stark warning is that in the ab- sence of very tough decisions the party's very "existence" will be at stake. In his speech, Grech hinted that the solution lies in selling the party's assets namely its political clubs. Grech's poisoned chalice But while his speech was refreshingly honest in giving party councillors a truer picture of the party's financials, some- thing never done by any of his prede- cessors, the message sent was that in this critical stage the party "cannot af- ford the creation of more divisions in a party which was already fractured." In this sense Grech seems keen on dis- couraging any internal challenge by presenting any contestant with a poi- soned chalice. He also presents his choice of hang- ing on as leader, despite the elector- al drubbing, as a cross which he is willing to bear to enable his party to take the tough decisions which should have been taken years ago. In short, ac- cording to Grech the party is too sick to withstand another bout of factional fighting. And by hanging on, he is put- ting himself on the sacrificial altar, by assuming responsibility for a decision which are bound to hurt. It would be dif- ficult for anyone to argue with that. In fact, anyone contesting against Grech, risks being depicted as an upstart wan- nabe interested more in vain glory than the party's best interests. Grech's autopsy: brutal honesty or self-preservation? Bernard Grech's public autopsy of his party's precarious financial situation on Sunday was brutally honest. But can he offer a way forward or is he ensuring his own survival by discouraging any other rival from drinking from a poisoned chalice which Grech wants for himself ?