Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1468621
NEWS 7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 MAY 2022 facing councillors again before general elections. This is be- cause Grech has already com- mitted himself to face another vote if his party fails to elect three MEPs in the European elections due in 2023. So, while Grech is careful in not setting a benchmark for himself, the PN leader clearly needs stronger support then Delia had in 2019. The bare minimum for Grech would be to secure over 70% of the vote. But party insiders suggest that in such a contest where Grech is running on his own he is expected to secure over 80% of all councillors in a way that internal opposition is relegated to low double digit or prefera- bly single digit figures. Grech vs all the disgruntled After his election as leader in 2020 Grech said the party now had to "ensure that the Nation- alist Party can once again be- come the natural party of the Maltese people," but the par- ty was once again thrashed in general elections in March in which Labour increased its ma- jority from 35,000 to 40,000. Despite the horrible result Grech managed to avoid any direct challenge from any rival and will face councillors in a one-horse race. The greatest disadvantage for Grech in this contest is that in the absence of rival candi- dates, the contest risks uniting a disparate coalition against him, composed of councillors who still resent Grech for top- pling Delia but also of council- lors 'disappointed' by the way Grech has side-lined Jason Az- zopardi. In the past weeks Grech has reinforced party unity by co-opting Adrian Delia and potential future rivals like Joe Giglio to key posts in his shad- ow cabinet. This may well help Grech secure more support among Delia loyalists. Yet it may not be enough to heal the wound. For despite Delia's loyalty to Grech, some of his supporters may still harbour resentment. Grech also faces other pock- ets of discontentment in the party including supporters of former MP Jason Azzopardi. The PN leader's declaration that 'all politicians have an ex- piry date' triggered the former MP to launch a serious alle- gation that Grech promised a group of businessmen he was meeting before the election, that he would consider par- doning Yorgen Fenech. Grech denied this. Grech also faces discontent- ment by candidates who felt side-lined in the electoral cam- paign and even accusations of collusion with big business in- terests as hinted by St Julian's mayor and candidate Albert Buttigieg in another missive about a meeting during which "a fat cat" was told by an un- named party official that he would shut him up. Buttigieg struck a raw nerve among voters (and non-vot- ers) disenchanted by the dom- inance of big business but it is likely that such concerns could be secondary for councillors. In short, the greatest risk in such a contest for Grech is the sum of different disgruntled factions in his party who could use this vote to cut him down to size or even force him to re- consider his decision to remain leader despite losing the elec- tion with an even higher mar- gin than 2017. On the other hand, the great- est advantage Grech has is that most councillors are now tired of infighting and may well opt for a strong vote to put an end to the sad spectacle, which has contributed to the party's elec- toral failure. For if they deny Grech a strong mandate, coun- cillors will risk prolonging the party's agony. Also weighing on the result is Grech's only significant achievement in the election; the generational renewal of the party's parliamentary benches. And while some councillors may resent how old timers were side-lined from the shad- ow cabinet, others may inter- pret the groundswell of change in the party as a sign of hope, which needs nourishment in a more stable and less fractious environment. Ultimately, since this election is taking place among a re- stricted number of party coun- cillors and not among party members, much depends on the kind of reassurances Grech is offering councillors in his face-to-face meetings. While in public Grech hints at "difficult decisions" for which he needs a strong man- date, it is in these one-to-one meetings with councillors that Grech is explaining his plans for the party. Yet it remains doubtful whether councillors are still in synch with the electorate, and the greatest risk facing the par- ty may well be the indifference of the electorate, which may well have concluded that par- ties like candidates also have an expiry date. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt "The greatest disadvantage for Grech in this contest is that in the absence of rival candidates, the contest risks uniting a disparate coalition against him, composed of councillors who still resent Grech for toppling Delia but also of councillors 'disappointed' by the way Grech has side-lined Jason Azzopardi."