Bernard Grech’s departure as PN leader has brought some unexpected and surprising changes to the party, which may suggest that some of its major ruptures are beginning to heal, but it is still too early to tell. Throughout the campaign for PN leadership election, the PN went through some developments which have reinforced it. The new leader will be working with these new added advantages.
Alex Borg’s leadership bid has galvanised a number of PN youths which are strongly supporting him apart from being extremely loyal. Quite clearly the cult of Alex Borg is very strong inside the PN and his advantage is that he has a group of youths who are ready to fight for him. Due to his leadership campaign, Alex Borg has empowered PN’s youth segment and this is a major positive step forward for the party which desperately needs the youth as its vanguard to win the general election. PN has faltered in the polls mostly with the youth, and Alex Borg may have begun building a base by which to address this issue.
On the other hand, the demographic of the PN Councilor, just like that of the Labour delegate, is mostly very mature. As the leadership campaign progressed, I began finding it very hard to believe that Alex Borg may convince the older demographic to support him. Anyone who is conservative-minded would ultimately chose the safest option, and clearly this is Adrian Delia because Alex Borg is considered as too you and too inexperienced.
Adrian Delia has conducted a radically different campaign from his first campaign of 2017. This time round he seems to be reaching out to all the different elements of the party and even stated that he would have no objection to having Jason Azzopardi as an election candidate. Whether Adrian Delia is addressing the rift in the party for convenience or because he genuinely understood he needs a coalition-like movement to win the elections is yet to be seen, but it’s probably both.
Both Adrian Delia and Alex Borg are inherently far-right populists, and they have made this very clear throughout their political careers. It is yet to be seen whether they will actually apply a centre-right politics or an insane and loony brand of populism that will keep them isolated and even more fractured. Politics is easy when you are resigned to be in Opposition in a state of perpetual defeat, but it’s a totally different matter to pose as an alternative government and take power. It is even more difficult to lead the country and manage the government. If they want to win the election they can’t afford to be stupid.
Having listened to them both and followed them extensively during this campaign, Adrian Delia seems to be very open to change and rectify his positions. On the other hand, Alex Borg is still insisting that criticism against him about Fort Chambray was based on a personal nature: Alex Borg literally lied in parliament to defend a very generous government concession to the Fort Chambray developers. He was also reprimanded for this by the Standards Commissioner.
Both of them are insufferable narcissists, but Adrian Delia may have learned the hard way through experience. Alex Borg, on the other hand, still seems too consumed by his own delusions to be taken seriously.
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