Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537666
Alex Borg: 'I'm centre-right, but my door is open to everyone' ALEX Borg has a clear plan for the Nationalist Party. In his first 100 days, he will appoint a committee of financial and political experts that will sort out the party's ċed- oli scheme and finally publish the party's accounts. This committee will also restructure the party's assets, if needed, to "maximise" income. He is also proposing a major shake-up at Medialink, the party's media arm, with a dedicated task force on social media. He wants to make sure the party's message is reaching everyone, from Na- tionalists to Labourites. I sit down with Borg to hear about the direc- tion he wants the PN to take, his ideology—and whether he ad- mires Donald Trump. The following is an excerpt of the interview. Three years after making it to parliament for the first time, Alex Borg wants to become PN leader. He sits down with Nicole Meilak to talk about his plan and rightward political leanings. The full interviews can be found on maltatoday.com.mt as well as our Facebook and Spotify pages. PHOTOS: JAMES BIANCHI / MALTA TODAY 4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 JULY 2025 INTERVIEW There's this perception that you're close to developers, especially after voting in favour of the Fort Chambray project in Gozo. Could this be a problem for you if you become party leader? Regarding Fort Chambray, both the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party voted in favour of the transfer. It was the result of bilateral consensus. However, as a politician, I like to say that I'm a friend to everyone but hostage to none. I believe that, as politicians, we cannot exclude anyone. On the contrary, I like to adopt an inclusive approach to politics. I want to reach out to everyone. You're a relatively new face to politics, and maybe few people be- yond Gozo know about your ideology. Do you consider yourself a con- servative? As a politician I don't want to start fights between the centre-right and centre-left, or between environmentalists and businessmen. You're there to unite people. That's the best part about politics and that's what I believe in. You might wonder whether I'm trying to be too much of a people pleaser—far from it. The country always managed to move forward when there was a party in government that could unite it. That is my style of politics. […] We all know that the Nationalist Party's values are centre-right, and that's the ideology I embrace, but I wouldn't exclude anybody. Just because someone is centre left doesn't mean they can't be part of the discussion, or that we have to disagree on everything. My basic principles are centre- right but that doesn't mean there aren't socialist things that I agree with such as bolstering social services, the welfare state, free healthcare and education. Every party agrees with these things because everyone benefits from them. This is the sort of politics we need—including everyone, excluding no one. What place will liberals have in the Nationalist Party? My door is open to everyone. We have our values, they are what they are, but that doesn't mean we can't be open to discussion. As a party we always listened to everyone. I want to re-build that party. I want to build a party that listens to everyone, that excludes no one and lends an ear to everyone. A PN with open doors always managed to succeed. Would you give a free vote on issues like eu- thanasia? Right now, the discussion is happening. The government doesn't have a mandate to table a bill in parliament on this. But if we end up in that situation… the PN has it written in its statute that the party is in favour of life from conception to death. However, situations like this are moral and ethical issues, and I think those situations require a free vote. A few months ago, you had described US Pres- ident Donald Trump as a nationalist that loves his country. Do you ad- mire Donald Trump? I was asked by a journalist outside parliament [before the US election] to choose between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. At the time, between the two, I chose Trump because I felt Biden seemed old and didn't have a lot left to offer to US politics… I felt Trump was the more effective person who could offer things. That doesn't mean I agree with him on everything. There are things I completely disagree with, like when he started talking about tariffs and making a U-turn on them, then saying that he wants ownership of the Panama Canal. Even his rhetoric on immigration, I didn't agree with him. I want to focus on Maltese politics. I was asked to choose between Trump and Biden… but that doesn't mean I admire him. I admire Malta. I admire Maltese politics and I want to continue working so that we can build a strong country with a better reputation and which can offer peace of mind to those who want to invest here, those who work here, and to our youth so that they can continue living a decent life in our country. Situations like this are moral and ethical issues, and I think those situations require a free vote