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11 ANALYSIS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 JANUARY 2024 Bernard calling Planet Franco role model to reassure them. But any mention of his return is bound to create a reaction among a section in the party's grassroots who have not for- given him for bringing a PN government down. More prag- matic insiders are open to his return, but fear his tantrums and doubt his ability to work in a team. Even more vocal are people like Edward Debono, a regular commentator of the PN media, and Repubblika ac- tivist Manuel Delia, who speak on their own steam and not on behalf of the party, but whose words carry significant weight amongst a section of PN voters. The problem for the party is that by overreacting to con- trarians like Debono – who last week stormed the RTK radio studio to rebut Edward Debono's claim that the former PM only wanted to be party leader – only continues to cre- ate a sideshow that dominates the news cycle, disturbing the internal peace in the party and provides merriment to the La- bour Party. Manuel Delia's brutal take- down In reacting to Manuel Delia's brutal turn of phrase compar- ing Debono to "a re-emerging tumour" that is "too small for scans, and before you know it too big to carry," Debono did not limit himself to shooting down Delia. He brought slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia into the equation, ac- cusing Delia of continuing the "tradition of hate blogs" and pointing out that the PN had never won an election since Caruana Galizia had start- ed her blog. In another post, Debono rebuked comparisons between Caruana Galizia and anti-mafia heroes Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, noting that none of these had "thrown plates" (a reference to her publicised domestic argu- ment) or evaded tax. While Debono is probably in sync with a large segment of the population that is averse to the brutal takedown of politi- cal adversaries and even peo- ple and family members found guilty by association, he cannot ignore Caruana Galizia's larg- er-than-life status after pay- ing the ultimate price for her journalistic work with her life. Ignoring this sentiment, which prevails not only in the PN but also amongst a sizeable chunk of independent voters who see in Caruana Galizia a symbol of irreverence and a victim of the murderous nexus between big business, organised crime, and politicians, does not bode well for the reacceptance of Debono in the PN. Battle for the party's soul? Debono is not isolated in the PN and has even found a godfa- ther to vouch for his goodwill. Delia's brutal analogy triggered a strong reaction from Gozitan Nationalist MP Alex Borg, who described Delia as "a small man dangerously posing as a pseu- do-intellectual." Significantly, Borg is internal- ly perceived as an ally of former PN leader Adrian Delia, whose election to the leadership in 2017 had exposed the limited influence Caruana Galizia's aura had on the party's grass- roots, who had effectively vot- ed for the candidate who had called her a "biċċa blogger". Borg is also associated with the party's more conservative wing, having even questioned government priorities when it introduced free gender re- assignment surgery for trans- sexuals – a trait which further underlies the cultural split in the PN between Caruana Gal- izia-loving liberals and tradi- tionalists. Still, even here it is hard to pigeon-hole Franco Debono, who does not particu- larly come across as a social conservative. Manuel Delia, on his part, re- acted to Borg by underlining his role as a free agent with no say in the PN, which is correct. Yet he cannot ignore popular perception, not just because of his past role as an aide of former minister (and Fran- co Debono's nemesis) Austin Gatt, but also of the active role of Repubblika in dethroning Adrian Delia. The risk of Franco Debono's return to the PN, if not han- dled well and clearly defined, is that the controversy it gener- ates could spiral out of control, devolving into a sideshow that Labour is bound to exploit, and which could trigger a culture war within the Nationalist Par- ty. For example, Debono's return is bound to trigger an internal debate between two different conceptions of justice: between the zeal of anti-corruption cru- saders and Debono's equally zealous insistence on safe- guards for the accused. The ego-driven and enthusi- astic Debono would be easier to contain in a strong party with clear objectives but may be too risky in a party with a perennial identity problem. For the PN still struggles to an- swer one basic question: what does it mean to be a Nationalist in 2024? Adding Debono to the mix may actually provoke this much-needed decision, but the ensuing discussion will be at best brutal and at worst a cir- cus. Franco Debono Franco Debono with PN MP Alex Borg