Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544495
The following are excerpts from the interview. The full interview can be found on maltatoday.com.mt as well as our Facebook and Spotify pages. PHOTOS: JAMES BIANCHI / MALTA TODAY 5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 ARPIL 2026 INTERVIEW Everyone is speculating on a possible general election being called in the coming weeks. If the prime minister calls the election, is the PN ready? Yes; we have seen a lot of dates being thrown around. Listen, this happens during every election period, but one has to point out that if it is held now, it will be held very early. Normally, in this country's political history, as long as nothing happens, it is held at the scheduled time. We are prepared; we have been prepared since the local council and European elections [in 2024]. The election machine, as we Maltese like to say, was never turned off since. Surveys show the PL is trust- ed more than the PN when it comes to the management of certain sectors. This can be down to policy, but also the head-to-head performance of ministers and shadow min- isters. How will the PN solve this problem? The incumbent will always have the clout of someone who is in the hot seat. The party will be reaffirming a number of sitting MPs, but will also have a number of new faces. I think our obligation is to provide people with the best choices, but who will be doing what depends on the prime minister of the day. I am convinced we will have a very interesting choice of candidates. Over the past 10 to 15 years, the PN has had problems in southern districts. The situation improved during the MEP and local council elections, but they have a different dynamic. How will you build on that improve- ment? There are certain regional realities in the country. And yes, the dynamic is different, but we are seeing certain positive trends across the years... From what we are seeing, every day, there is renewed interest in the party. I have to point out that the PN, when it comes to strategy and proposals, does not focus on one region or the other, but the country as a whole. We are in a situation right now, in this election more than before, where people are being faced with a choice that will fundamentally impact the country's future. What will really impact the country's future is the economy, and here Labour has continued to perform excellently. We can speak about vision and policy, but a lot of people, especially those who live pay cheque to pay cheque, will only care about the economy. How will the PN be able to overcome this hurdle? Part of your question mentioned people who live pay cheque to pay cheque, and so, while credit is due for what was well managed, there is a bit of irony here. On one side we are speaking about a performing economy, but on the other we are saying there are a lot of people who can barely make it through the month. Figures also show there is an ever-growing cohort of people at risk of poverty, with a growing gap between those who 'have' and those who 'don't'. After 12 years of a leftist government; a country governed by a workers' party, that is something which worries me. I remember listening to Dom Mintoff about the public purse (il-Kaxxa ta' Malta), which today is more than €11 billion in debt… Figures show the state can sustain that debt. For exam- ple, when it comes to Exces- sive Deficit Procedure set by the European Commission, Malta is ahead of schedule… But we are missing the most important thing. The economy is the people at the end of the day. Let me be clear—there is a large group of people doing very well under this economy, but the number of people who are doing worse is growing. You look at young individuals or couples looking to buy a property and how they are not able to afford many properties on the market. The moment the economy stops sustaining a certain level of quality of life across the board, is the moment when one should be worried about the economic choices being made by government. The economic model is based on cheap labour, and a number of sectors would collapse without foreign workers. This has also impacted society as whole. They got to the figures they wanted, but for those decisions we are paying a heavy price. Are small parties a threat to you? Surveys show they eat away at voters who tradition- ally lean towards the PN… As a citizen I want to see a third party in parliament which goes beyond a protest vote, but rather showcases its vision for the country. I want to see the small parties explain their vision for foreign policy, their vision for the economy, industry, infrastructure. These are the things which I think citizens want to see from them. They position themselves as a harbour for protest votes, and I accept that its part of the game, but it is important to know these parties' plans on crucial sectors. But we see them speak a lot about their vision… Yes, fine but they are normally critical reactions, which is fine, but I want to know their wider policies. Sure, but let me get back to my original question—the big parties right now are only thinking about numbers and winning, and the ADPD and Momentum pose a hurdle for you. Are you worried about them? It's a reality we have to take into consideration. You are right it's a numbers game, every vote counts. But despite this reality, we have to look forward. You are deputy leader, but Alex Borg in his leadership campaign had pledged the creation of a new deputy leader post for parliamenta- ry affairs. How's the progress on that? I want to say that I wholeheartedly agree with that proposal, and Borg had discussed it with me before going public with it. It requires changes in the statute, and the party's executive a couple of months ago had formed a committee, which I chair, that is handling the matter. But we will also be changing a number of other things as well. Alex Borg has always insisted he's in it to win it. But if the PN loses the election and the gap between the parties re- duces dramatically, you may not have the satisfaction of winning, but what would be an acceptable margin? I was sure with Alex Borg at the helm the impact would be positive, but even I wasn't prepared for the extent of it. People are reacting very well to his sincerity, to his determination, to his energy and the love he has for the country. This to me reflects the maturity he has. Our aim is to win the general election and I won't speak about anything else. Our vision is that; the leader's call is that and everyone in the party is focused on winning. The coming election is one that goes beyond the party, but one that will determine the country's future. We feel that pressure on our shoulders, and we are focused only on winning.