Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1511356
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 NOVEMBER 2023 8 INTERVIEW Bernard Grech: 'PN government will retain subsidies... Metsola an asset not a threat' OPPOSITION leader Bernard Grech rubbishes claims a Nationalist gov- ernment will not retain subsidies on fuel and energy as I sit down with him for this interview. He insists the party will not only retain the subsidies but has a plan to increase the country's electricity gen- eration, while improving the distribu- tion network. We meet a couple of days after Grech delivered his reaction to the budget presented by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana. During his two-hour speech, the Nationalist Party leader made frequent reference to how the country's debt has doubled under the Labour administration. Criticism of the country's debt at a time when public finances were used to prop up the economy with a gen- erous wage subsidy during the pan- demic, and now subsidies to keep fuel and energy prices stable, raises the obvious question as to whether a future PN government will withdraw the support. But Grech insists that despite the higher debt incurred, government has nothing to show for it. He says Robert Abela's solution to problems facing the country is to continue to borrow more money. "Debt is not rising because of the subsidies; we agree with the subsi- dies, but government is not subsid- ing people's needs. Government is subsidising corruption, waste, lack of hard work, lack of planning," Grech insists. On the country's soaring popula- tion, the Nationalist leader says the solution lies in shifting the economic model to one which is more sustain- able. "We are saying that the economy can grow at the same rate or even better, without growing the popula- tion, without destroying the environ- ment, without continuing to worsen people's quality of life," he says. "We will reverse the damage and go for an economic model which improves everyone's lives." He says the economic pillars pro- posed by the PN will not be based on numbers, and the high wages and good conditions will attract skilled members of the Maltese workforce. Despite the disgruntlement at gov- ernment over the string of scandals which have characterised the sum- mer, survey trends have shown that people prefer to say they will not vote, rather than make the switch to the PN. But Grech prefers to look at the bright side and says trends have shown the gap between the two par- ties has narrowed. "I don't see scandals as an opportu- nity to gain mileage for the PN, but one can see the big shift in trends from the 36,000 we had during the last election," he insists. As the European Parliament elec- tions draw near, Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament and Nationalist MEP, is increasingly making appearances in Malta. For some time now, the rumour mill has been in full flow as to whether she will be replacing Grech at the helm of the party. But for Grech, Metsola is an asset not a threat, saying he has no doubt she supports his leadership. "So much so that I invited her to address the Independence Day mass meeting," he says. Just after delivering his reaction to Budget 2024, Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech sits down with KARL AZZOPARDI to talk about his party's roadmap for the country, the PN's debt and Roberta Metsola