Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1536441
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 JUNE 2025 OPINION I was in the room when Bernard asked Roberta to contest the next election as a PN candidate and no reply was forthcoming GOVERNMENT OF MALTA CABINET OFFICE OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER AWARD OF HONOURS AND DECORATIONS Malta pays public tribute to Maltese citizens who have distinguished themselves in different walks of life and whose contribution and achievement enrich the general well-being of their fellow countrymen. Any Maltese citizen, a group of persons or a voluntary organisation which is duly enrolled with the Commissioner in terms of the Voluntary Organisation Act may be nominated for the award of an honour on Republic Day. Nominations for 2025 will be received by the Nominations Committee on the prescribed Nomination Form, addressed to the Chairperson, Nominations Committee, Office of the Prime Minister, Auberge de Castille, Valletta VLT 1061, by not later than Sunday, 17th August 2025. Nomination forms may be collected from the Office of the Prime Minister, Auberge de Castille, Valletta or downloaded from the website of the Office of the Prime Minister www.opm.gov.mt. For further information, one may contact the Cabinet Office on 22001481. The persons nominated should neither be approached for details, nor informed about their nomination. I am writing this after read- ing the Facebook post by the President of the European Par- liament Roberta Metsola, an- nouncing that she will not seek the Nationalist Party leadership in the upcoming contest. It was a clear and unequivocal state- ment… but late. Late enough to trigger the resignation of Bernard Grech earlier this week. Over the past few years, I have witnessed Ber- nard Grech having to deal with the looming shadow of Rober- ta Metsola and the false hope she conveyed. In the process, Grech's trust ratings suffered because, inevitably, his actions were all being measured and compared to the parallel reality which was being built and pro- moted. It was a lost battle and even though it was evident to everyone, there was no effort for it to be stopped or controlled. We have an electorate which listens, discerns and under- stands. A demanding electorate, which last June strongly elected a candidate who ran a campaign against a backdrop of 'Hope'. We have a demanding elec- torate, who enthusiastically listened to a speech at the PN Independence day celebrations in 2023 wherein the 'vision of excellence for the country' was laid out (The Times, 21st Sep- tember 2023). A demanding electorate, who closely followed the 'advice to the PN to regain its lost mo- mentum' (Lovin Malta podcast, 3rd May 2025). A demanding electorate, who followed endless other decla- rations and interviews which instilled hope. We have an elec- torate that expected 'hope' to be translated into real action and give the PN new momentum to succeed, now that the opportu- nity arose. I must say that Roberta Metso- la's announcement on Saturday comes as no surprise to me. I was in the room when Bernard asked Roberta to contest the next election as a PN candidate and no reply was forthcoming. I personally repeatedly en- gaged with one of her clos- est aides to inform them that Bernard was ready to do the ultimate sacrifice since it was evident that momentum had been built around Roberta's prospective candidacy and that she could be in a better position to lead the PN forward at this juncture. But even here, amibi- guity reigned supreme and no clear reply was forthcoming. I hope that Roberta's public declaration can now remove the overwhelming shadow that she has cast over the PN. The new party leader should be un- shackled in the manner they di- rect the party towards the next general election. The PN now needs a strong leader to help it navigate the next phase. Talk of interim leadership will only send one message; the PN has already threw in the towel for the next election. Backroom deals and manoeu- vres will only result in chaos and disruption. The next lead- er needs to build on the strong foundations the PN has and must have a strong mandate from party members to imple- ment their agenda. Only that will bring about the real hope the party needs. I hope that Roberta's mes- sage will now clear the way for contenders to come forward. It was surreal that four days after Bernard's announcement no one had yet announced their intention to contest the post of PN leader. That in itself goes to show what atmosphere was cre- ated by the lingering shadow. To AnneMarie, Neil and Ma- ria thank you. You were Ber- nard's strength throughout his tenure. Your bond was a source of inspiration. The PN's and the country's loss is your gain and you can now go back to enjoy the lost time together. There was not one single day where Bernard failed to mention you, worry about you, praise you, be proud of you. To Bernard. It was the honour of my life to serve you. I was lucky that I spent my time in politics working for people like George Pullicino and Lawrence Gonzi, who treated politics as a tool to foster the common good. When you first called me to help you, I barely knew you. In the process I saw you handle problems graciously and always putting the country and party before yourself. I saw you inher- it a divided party and bringing back normality. I saw you suf- fer immensely when tragedy hit and whenever you saw someone around you enduring a person- al hardship. You faced politics with a human approach before anything else. Even though I was your biggest critic, through all this I've learnt a lot and for that I will always be thankful. You can walk with head held high for always being true to yourself even in the face of ad- versity. You honoured the role of PN leader and history will treat you kindly. Ray Bezzina Ray Bezzina was an advisor to outgoing PN leader Bernard Grech Real hope