Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537666
5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 JULY 2025 INTERVIEW Adrian Delia: 'PN needs everyone, it can't close the door to anyone' Adrian Delia sits down with Karl Azzopardi to discuss why wants to become PN leader again, his plans to address the party's f inancial situation and his vision for the future ADRIAN Delia is running for the Nationalist Party leader- ship for a third time. HE won in 2017, was chal- lenged and lost in 2020 and is now attempting to take over once more. Delia insists a lot has changed despite his less-than-amicable removal from leader in 2020 by the so-called Blue Heroes. But many of those who had worked against him back then were among the first to en- courage him to contest the PN leadership this time around, he tells me. Delia wants to give the PN an identity, solve its debt issues and bring back "the many hurt by the PN". The following is an excerpt of the interview. From the so-called Blue Heroes, there are some who are still part of the PN's parliamentary group. Among them is Beppe Fenech Adami, who a few days ago posed for a photo next to you. Is this not something which confuses people? Or maybe we just took a photo together… Yes, but every photo you upload right now is part of your election cam- paign, and holds more weight… Yes, yes there were difficulties with a number of MPs in my parliamentary group. Some are no longer there, and some remain. Not one of them thinks any longer that I should not hold the role. When you asked me, what led me to contest the election, and I told you a number of people approached me to take the step, among them were individuals who formed part of that group. You will be contest- ing against Alex Borg. Reports also revealed you had an agreement between you and Borg that one of you would not contest. We also saw you serving as a political mentor for Borg over the past months and year. Who broke that agree- ment? I break no agreement if there is an agreement. In the case of my friend Alex Borg, in the past years I saw a youth with potential. I invested time and energy in him, advised him and introduced him; I think his future lies with the PN and he can continue to grow. I feel that right now he is not prepared enough to take this step, and I told him this to his face and for his own good. The situation we face right now, which we thought would come after the general election, led me to take the decisions I took. Are you still friends? Yes, but I still believe that if there is an agreement between friends and colleagues, that agreement should be honoured. NGO Repubblika and Ja- son Azzopardi have been a headache for previous leaders… They are not a headache for me. They are harsh in their criticism of you—criti- cism which led to your dismissal from leader. Do they have a place inside the PN? NGOs are not there to be part of parties, but to be part of society. There was a time when environmental NGOs criticised the Nationalist Party. But are they disruptive to the PN? For me they are not. I am not bothered about criticism. If I can learn, I make an effort to do that, and I support every NGO, even those who disagree with me. In the surveys, you and Alex Borg were the most popular, but then you had Franco Debono—a divisive figure. Some see him as a symbol of the PN's brain drain, while others as the man who forced the collapse of the last PN government. Does he have a place inside the party? Let me start with a general statement—the PN is in the need of everyone, and cannot close the door to anyone. The media loves to spotlight these individuals because they are a bit more colourful than others. But should the PN only think about these individuals, when it has hurt thousands? Let's speak with these thousands. Maybe when people see Jason Azzopardi and Franco Debono return- ing, you can convince these thousands you are speaking about without uttering a single word… Who told you they are not part of the party? Just because Franco Debono is a paid mem- ber of the party, does not mean he is active inside the PN or cam- paigns for the party. He's gone from being an MP to a full-time lawyer. So what? There are so many MPs who no longer are MPs, and new ones will come. But it is not you who decides he is no longer active within the PN. He was at the PN's general council, and I spoke to him. Everyone has a place inside the PN, even Labourites watching this interview; even Labour MPs who I know are not happy with how the government is being run. PHOTOS: JAMES BIANCHI / MALTA TODAY NGOs are not there to be part of parties, but to be part of society