Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537082
Alex Borg An MP and contesting for the PN leadership 9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 JULY 2025 OPINION I read James Debono's recent piece in Sunday's MaltaToday, PN At A Cross- roads: The Narrow Ideological Choice, with both appreciation and resolve. He rightly diagnoses our moment. The Na- tionalist Party is facing a turning point. But it is not just a question of ideology. It is a question of imagination, ambi- tion, and whether we are still capable of building a future that speaks to the soul of our nation. This is not just a leadership contest between two candidates. It is a defining moment for the party, and for Malta. I respect James Debono's honesty. He challenges the PN not to fall into the trap of false choices or superficial change. He warns us against reducing this leadership race to stylistic prefer- ences between two shades of the same conservatism. And he questions wheth- er either of us can rise to the occasion. That challenge is fair. And I accept it, because I believe this contest must be about something deeper: the future of our country, and the role the National- ist Party must play in shaping it. A party that has lost its voice Let's be honest. The PN has lost its sense of self. We've been too focused on internal disputes, on reliving past glories or nursing past wounds. We've become reactive, rigid, and sometimes, irrelevant. What once was a political movement that gave Malta its institutions, its Eu- ropean identity, and its post-independ- ence direction, has become a party un- sure of how to connect with the people it once inspired. This is not about blam- ing individuals. It is about recognising the collective drift. Over the years, our party has failed to reform itself structurally, financially, and politically. We've clung to slogans when we needed substance. We've hes- itated when we needed boldness. And we've spoken inwards, when we should have been listening outwards. A country in flux Meanwhile, the country and the world around us are changing fast. Global uncertainty is reshaping the world. AI, climate transition, security concerns, inflation, and mass migration are re- defining what it means to govern. In Malta, people are asking fundamental questions about quality of life, corrup- tion, education, housing, healthcare, and what it means to belong here. But when they look at the political class, and at us in the PN, many don't see hope. They see noise. They see poli- tics as a game. And they see two parties that look too much alike. This must change. And that's why I've entered this contest. We need more than a new leader What we need is not just new lead- ership. We need a new political cul- ture. A new sense of purpose. A deep renewal that touches our identity, our structure, our communication, our can- didates, and our credibility. This is not just about beating Labour. It is about becoming the party that people trust to build a better Malta. To do that, we must be radical in thinking, disciplined in structure, and courageous in vision. We need to reform our party from the inside out. We need to rethink our Fhe- miet Bażiċi (Core Beliefs). We need to run our organisation efficiently, profes- sionally, and transparently. We need to embrace digital transformation not just as a policy, but as a mindset. And most of all, we need to listen—really listen to people's struggles, dreams, frustrations, and hopes. A broader, braver PN James Debono warns about the risk of narrowing our ideological space. I agree. But I don't see the PN as a party of rigid ideologies. I see it as a coalition of values; rooted in liberty, ambition, maturity, adaptability, and trust. We must be a broad movement: pro-business and pro-worker. Green and growth-oriented. Proud of our heritage, but never hostage to it. Con- servative in integrity, progressive in in- novation. Open to civil dialogue on LG- BTIQ+ rights, migration, faith, family, and national identity; without turning differences into division. That's not confusion. That's what democratic centrism should look like. That's what modern leadership re- quires. Why I'm running I'm not running against Adrian Delia. I'm running for the future of the Na- tionalist Party. This leadership contest must not be about who shouts louder or who's been here longer. It must be about who brings the vision, energy, and strategy to rebuild the party and prepare it to govern. Let this be a contest of ideas. Let it be one of vision. Of passion. Of plans. If I win, I will lead a party that is bold, open, and disciplined. A party that communicates clearly. That operates like a government-in-waiting. That lis- tens before it speaks. And acts before it reacts. But if I lose, and those ideas don't win the day, then at least I can say I tried to raise the bar and will be, as al- ways, ready to serve the party. Because the Nationalist Party needs a wake-up call. And Malta needs an Opposition worthy of its people. This is a defining moment. The time is now. Let's be honest. The PN has lost its sense of self. We've been too focused on internal disputes, on reliving past glories or nursing past wounds. We've become reactive, rigid, and sometimes, irrelevant. This is not just a contest. It's a crossroads.