Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1538990
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 AUGUST 2025 ANALYSIS & OPINION Adrian Delia The new paradigm PN leadership candidate IT'S been a tough few weeks but we are final- ly here at the last hurdle. I have endeavoured to make my campaign about substance rather than vibes and about policy rather than vague pledges of change. As a candidate for the leadership of the Na- tionalist Party, I am not merely attempting to lead half a country, I am striving to convince a nation that I can and will usher in a brighter and more prosperous future for every single citizen of Malta, even the ones who will never contemplate voting for the PN or me person- ally. We stand today not merely on the shores of the Mediterranean, but on the threshold of a New Paradigm. Our party has always fought to define Malta not by our size but by our spirit, not by our limitations rather by our potential. We are a small nation but from these shores have emerged knights who defended Christianity, traders who connected continents, and citi- zens who have consistently punched above their weight on the world stage. Today, I call upon that same courage, that same vision, that same determination to chart our course toward this new horizon since Malta's great- est days do not lie behind us, but ahead of us. It begins with our environment. We stand at a crossroads where we must choose be- tween reckless development and responsible stewardship. Our precious countryside disap- pears beneath concrete at an alarming rate, our coastlines face relentless pressure from construction, and our green spaces shrink with each passing year. But we shall not al- low short-term profits to mortgage our chil- dren's inheritance. We shall lead by example in preserving our rural heritage while meeting modern needs; ensuring that prosperity does not come at the expense of our ODZ desig- nated land; and protecting our coastlines while creating sustainable communities. Malta can become the Mediterranean's model for how small nations balance growth with conservation, transforming our develop- ment practices into a source of national pride rather than regret. Let other nations follow where Malta leads in proving that prosperity and preservation can walk hand in hand. The New Paradigm extends to our econo- my. We shall no longer be content to depend solely on tourism and traditional industries, vital though they remain. Malta has already achieved remarkable success as a digital hub, attracting technology companies from across the globe to our shores. Our strategic loca- tion, skilled workforce, and EU membership have made us the Mediterranean's technol- ogy centre. But we shall not rest on these achievements, we shall build upon them. The question now is not whether we can attract tech companies, but how we can nurture the next generation of Maltese entrepreneurs and innovators. We must ensure that the prosperity generat- ed by our digital economy reaches every cor- ner of our islands, creates opportunities for all our citizens, and establishes Malta not just as a place where foreign companies operate, but as a nation that breeds its own champi- ons. We shall invest in our people, our start- ups, and our homegrown innovations, trans- forming Malta from a technology destination into a technology originator. Our New Paradigm demands excellence in education. Every Maltese child deserves not just to learn, but to excel. We shall build schools that prepare our youth not for yester- day's jobs, but for tomorrow's opportunities. We shall ensure that being Maltese means be- ing multilingual, digitally literate, and global- ly competitive. Our size is our advantage. We can ensure that no child falls behind, that every talent is nurtured, and that every dream is supported. Within this New Paradigm, we can help bro- ker peace between divided peoples. Our na- tion's history of hospitality can make us natu- ral mediators in regional conflicts. Malta can show the world that small nations can have large hearts and influential voices. But let us be clear about what this New Para- digm demands of us. It asks for commitment. It asks for hard work. It asks for the courage to leave behind the comfortable and familiar to venture into the challenging and unknown. It asks us to not be complacent and not to despair at what Malta has become but to fight for a better country which we are still in time to create. To the young, I say: We are all rooting for you. We want to give you the tools to make successfully inhabit the New Paradigm. To those with experience and wisdom, I say: Share your knowledge, but do not let yester- day's limitations constrain tomorrow's possi- bilities. To every single Maltese citizen, regardless of party allegiance, I say: You are not just in- habitants of this island, you are architects of its future. Our party has always fought to define Malta not by our size but by our spirit, not by our limitations rather by our potential. Adrian show next general election under their stewardship. prime minister". It was his way of projecting the "win- ning mentality" he has been emphasising throughout this campaign. "My mentality is not to re- duce the gap but to win the next election," Borg said, in- sisting the party had to re- gain its self-confidence. And his recipe for doing so is the adoption of "inclusive poli- tics that embraces all those of goodwill". With reference to the Inde- pendence monument, Borg highlighted the party's "glori- ous past"—independence, EU membership, adoption of the euro and an open economy— but warned the party from being anchored to its past. "We need to look forward and think ahead," he said, empha- sising his campaign slogan, which in its English rendition was missing a 'the', Time Is Now (Dan il-Mument). But while Borg's rally provid- ed an uplifting tone intend- ed to boost enthusiasm and morale, Delia's was focussed more on issues thanks to a brief no-holds barred on-stage interview with radio host An- drew Azzopardi. A 'frustrated country' "People are frustrated with their country. Frustrated with the number of imported work- ers, more traffic, increased pollution and corruption," Delia emphasised when asked why he believed his own cam- paign slogan, We Will Win (Nirbħu), will eventually ma- terialise. The issue of foreign workers cropped up with Delia feeling vindicated over the concerns he had raised more than five years ago. At the time he re- ceived flak for fomenting xen- ophobia. On the night, Delia flew the flag for "Malteseness" and hinting that it could be under threat, while drawing a clear distinction between Mal- tese people and foreigners. But this time around, his words are more likely to strike a chord in a country whose public infra- structure has buckled under the weight of rapid population increase. And in an attempt to assuage doubters, Delia insisted he had no skeletons in his cupboard when addressing the turbulent period at the helm of the PN between 2017 and 2020. "I have nothing to hide. I in- vite the Labour Party and all journalists to come and ask anything; I have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to hide," Delia roared, insisting he was not beholden to any- one. A 'note' to ponder There was no currency in the song choice at the end of the respective candidate perfor- mances. Alex Borg opted for the PN anthem, Sbejħa Patri- ja, while Delia closed his with the 2015 hit, Fight Song. And on those notes, the tesserati went home to mull who is best poised to lead the PN into its next chapter.