Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has the political charisma of a damp dishcloth trying to lead the Nationalist Party through a political storm. Despite a government riddled with corruption allegations, scandals, and judicial investigations, Grech still can’t transform public outrage into political momentum.
At a time when Malta’s democratic institutions are under siege, when public trust is eroding, and when international headlines about the country still mention corruption and criminal investigations, the Opposition should be thriving.
Instead, the Nationalist Party under Bernard Grech is stuck in neutral.
Grech has been right on principle. He has consistently defended citizens’ rights to request magisterial inquiries and the judiciary’s integrity. While Robert Abela undermines magistrates, questions motives, and conveniently forgets the constitutional boundaries of his office, Grech has stood firm.
He’s called for transparency in the hospitals’ deal – the result of a case filed by former leader Adrian Delia – defended the rule of law, and pushed back against Labour’s aggressive narrative that every investigation and every criticism by civil society is a partisan attack.
But leadership is not just about being correct — it’s about conviction, communication, and connection. And that’s where Grech is failing.
He’s not fiery, he’s not forceful, and more worryingly, he’s not memorable.
Meanwhile, internal party theatrics are doing him no favours. Enter Alex Borg — a young and dangerously self-assured MP from Gozo who sees himself as the heir apparent, long before anyone’s actually crowned him with legitimacy.
Borg is popular on social media, slick in presentation, and deeply convinced of his own future. But there’s very little in terms of policy depth, national thinking, or political maturity.
He supported the Fort Chambray development, which critics say violated contractual obligations and prioritised commercial interests over historical preservation.
Instead of rallying behind the party to build a vision the country needs, Borg decided it was his moment to shine. “I believe in progress that benefits Gozitans,” Borg said in a parliamentary statement. “We must find a balance between tradition and economic opportunity.”
But critics say Borg’s version of “balance” disproportionately favours developers.
The Gozo MP has mastered the art of the perfectly filtered Instagram post and the vague, platitude-filled speech. He sees himself as the great hope of the PN’s future — Malta’s answer to Macron, if Macron were 25 and spent more time on Reels than in parliament.
His open ambition and constant self-promotion risk fracturing the PN even further, especially when unity is the one thing the party can’t afford to lose.
A rising star who’s more influencer than statesman can quickly become a liability.
Many interpret Borg’s campaign for relevance as a power play and yet another reminder that the party is too focused on internal egos to present itself as a government-in-waiting.
Meanwhile, Robert Abela does what Labour does best: distracting, spinning, and surviving. Every week, there’s a new scandal. And yet Labour’s popularity continues to float above the wreckage.
Why? Because even with all its flaws, the Labour Party has built a myth of strength, economic growth, and continuity. It’s a mirage, but one that many Maltese still find preferable to the PN’s incoherence.
Let’s be blunt: How is the PN still trailing in the polls when Labour ministers are practically tripping over each other on the way to court? When Malta’s international reputation is in tatters? When families are struggling with the cost of living, young people are priced out of the housing market, and cronyism has become a national sport.
The answer lies within the PN itself — a party that is still stuck between two identities: one nostalgic for the days of Eddie Fenech Adami and one trying to rebrand itself without actually changing its approach.
In the midst of all this, Robert Abela sails on, not because he’s winning hearts, but because he’s running unopposed. Labour has crafted a narrative of strength and economic continuity — even if it’s built on a house of cards.
Abela positions himself as calm in the storm, even when he’s the one who lit the match.
Scandal after scandal continues to emerge, yet Labour’s grip on the electorate remains unsettlingly firm.
That grip isn’t loyalty — it’s resignation. Many voters, even disillusioned ones, see Labour’s faults but don’t trust the PN to manage a corner store, let alone the country.
So until the PN stops acting like it’s waiting for Labour to implode and instead builds a real alternative, Maltese voters will keep holding their noses and voting red. Not because they love Labour — but because they still don’t trust the PN to do any better.
There’s a vacuum waiting to be filled. The country needs a renewal—one that speaks to disillusioned Labour voters, young people trapped in a broken economy, professionals sick of clientelism, and families tired of the two-party rot.
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Spot on. . . Perhaps Cassola can fill the void and provide a sensible way forward. Alternatively, if Metsola takes the reins the PN Titanic will be refloated and ready to go.
I’m not sure if you remember, but for decades, many Labour supporters voted with expectations as simple as getting access to things like colour TVs?back when they were quite expensive, especially in the 1980s. Fast forward to today, and we see that one in five Maltese people is employed in the public sector or government authorities. In Gozo, the ratio is even higher?about one in three.
Unfortunately, many of those who ended up in these roles would have never been considered for public sector jobs in a merit-based system. They often lacked key qualities such as academic qualifications, work ethics, respect for confidentiality, and professionalism. Yet, not only were they employed, but many were given white-collar positions, despite having no background or aptitude for them.
That?s partly why leaders like Dr Bernard Grech, Dr Simon Busuttil before him, and likely those who follow will continue to struggle. When someone with a background in manual labour or delivery suddenly finds themselves in a comfortable office job, complete with perks and air-conditioning, it feels like they?ve hit the jackpot?without ever buying a ticket. And they never forget it.
I?m sorry to say, but the PN has always strived to play fair, while under PL, the benefits often seem to go exclusively to their supporters. The rest are left watching from the sidelines, understandably frustrated.
Spot on!
Excellent Analysis!
While the PN drifts aimlessly, the plunder continues.
Slowly but surely, everything seems to fall in place. Malta was historically an island of pirates and slaves.The integrity part was just a small window. After all, the island has been around many many centuries.
The PN is no longer an option for anyone having a modicum of self respect. They offer no vision, no insight and no sensible solutions. Take Gozo an Island which needs to be different. An island already struggling with too many cars. You get off the ferry and you are stuck in endless traffic until you reach your destination and then you spend the rest of the day trying to find a crack where to park your car. So come the PN and talk of their great idea of increasing car carrying capacity to Gozo rather than what Gozo needs. Furthermore proposing to build a new road from the Harbour?.. beneath Chambray? The Fort is already falling slowly into the sea and no government can afford a solution.
Frankly I am sick to my stomach with this bunch of incompetents. Long gone are the days when being a Nazzjonalist was a proud badge to wear. Today I would not even dare consider the PN as an option. I would never ever consider PL. They are a bunch of competent criminals. However, the PN on the other hand are a bunch of incompetents idiots who are as inspiring and exciting as a damp squib.
It seems many a time that the PN is not in the game to win it but simply to go through the motions. Bernard Grech is hellbent on treating Labour as a political opponent rather than the criminal organisation it has actually become. One fails to comprehend who the Party?s political strategists are and the omnipresence of an overbearing wife smiling benignly at her husband makes ?Kap? look little more than a toy poodle.
It is moreover so blatantly obvious that the PN?s reactions to emerging scandals are tardy, half-hearted and often irrelevant as other quarters notably Repubblika would have been out of the blocks as the PN mulls its latent reaction.
An Opposition worth its salt would be by now at the government?s jugular boycotting all official events and ramming past and present scandals down the throats of the criminals dressed up as ministers.
Instead the PN plays soft under the guise of positivity, eluding itself that this ?moderate? approach will win it the next election by default. Instead it is only serving to infuriate long-standing voters who today find absolutely nothing to identify themselves with, wallowing instead in deep frustration. Compounding the situation is an ineffectual media arm led by a head of news who seems destined for sainthood and is surrounded by a coterie of toothless reporters who think they are doing a monumental job putting ministers on the spot, while in effect giving them a platform to ridicule the party and foment their deceit!
Mela skond int, “the Labour Party has built a myth of strength, economic growth, and continuity”. M’hemm l-ebda myth meta naghmlu l-paraguni kif gvern Nazzjonalista u dak Laburista iffaccjaw sfidi internazzjonali. Il-PN tefa’ l-piz fuq il-poplu, rajna l-pajjiz f’ricessjoni, il-qghad li kien sploda, fabbriki jaghlqu, excessive deficit procedure ecc. Il-Labour hadem bil-kontra, wiezen lill-poplu, naqqas il-qghad, hareg b’mizuri biex jiggieldu l-inflazzjoni u dan il-poplu apprezzah. M’hemm l-ebda myth, imma fatti u esperjenza ta’ gvernijiet li hadmu dijametrikament oppost ta’ xulxin. Ovvjament il-fattur PN taht Bernard Grech bit-texxija dghajfa tieghu tghallem ukoll, imma hadd m’ghandu jnaqqas mill-mertu tal-Labour u x’kien kapaci jaghmel ghal gid tal-poplu fl-aghar zminijiet.
Dr Grech needs to go. Metsola has to take his place. And the PL knows it, especially after her last comment that she?ll respond to any call if needed. So much so, that the PL proverbial guns are on overdrive against Metsola.
And there may be a trojan horse within PN who is assisting the PL.
PN needs to press its reset button and start all over again with an internal clean sweep from people behind the scenes to the MPs representing it in Parliament. Values and morals are important but they need to be tweeked and updated to reflect changes in society which evolves naturally over time. Even hearing the famous themed songs used by the party of the past, today this is a big turn off. This shows how stuck in the past the party is. Society needs clarity and vision as to what the future may hold. The longer its stays in denial, the deeper Malta sinks into the abyss. Hope is that alternative parties recognise this and start to grow stronger to become a strong political opponent and government in waiting.
It will not find the voice, the nationalist party is very far away from what it should be. It needs a complete change of MPs. Too many children allowed in.
An excellent article. Exactly as it is. Prosit Caroline.
Bla dubju li kollox myth! Issa taf x hin iddawwar ghajnejk u tinduna meta xi darba jaqa l labour. U mhux ghax l PN ikun hazin imma ghax l PL qed jahbi kollox!! Fejn huma l fabbriki llum li semmejt inti? X qed iwiezen! C check tal 100 euro li qed tircievi? Ghalhekk llum kullhadd imdejjen u jrid jahdem 3 xoghlijiet biex forsi ilahhaq…..fejn qabel l mara kienet tibqa d-dar! Hallina jahasra.
With all respect, I would say that it is proving quite difficult for the PN’s voice to be heard against all the jingle of ‘goodies’ being distributed to those who heed little else – especially those sheepies who have grown an addiction to receiving their manna in the form of regular cheques for one reason or another.
We all know what makes the loudest ado.
“qabel l mara kienet tibqa d-dar” dazgur ghax ma kienx hemm opportunitajiet ta’ xoghol (12,000 ifittxu x-xoghol kelna). Wahda mill-ewwel mizuri ta’ gvern Laburista kienet li jghin lill-familji billi jaghtihom ic-childcare b’xejn li IMMEDJATAMENT inhatfet ghax in-nisa li riedu jahdmu ma setghux ilahqu ma’ dawn l-ispejjez qabel. Din il-mizura u l-opportunitajiet ta’ xoghol li bdew jinholqu ghenet biex bdejna niksru rekord wara l-iehor fis-settur tal-impjiegi sakemm ilhaqna l-full employment. Rigward li semmejt jien kif il-gvern ghen lin-nies, milli jidher int insejt (jew trid tnessi) il-hemel ta’ mizuri li twetqu. Il-lista hija twila, nista’ nsemmi il-kancellazzjoni tat-taxxa fuq min jaqla’ l-paga minima, l-inwork benefit, iz-zieda fil-paga minima, iz-zieda kull sena fil-penzjoni, rifuzjoni tat-taxxa, u mitt zieda ohra li drajnihom. Altru mill-100 Ewro. Il-fatt li waqt il-pandemija, il-gvern salva aktar minn 100,000 impjieg hu aktar minn bizzejjed biex il-maggoranza tal-poplu jibqa’ rikonoxxut ghal gid enormi li rajna f’dawn l-ahhar snin. Tistghu taghmlu kemm tridu downvotes ghal dawn il-fatti, ir-rejalta tibqa’ dik li hi.
Ghax hu qieghed komdu jahseb li kulhadd komdu bhalu!
Just a short note that in June 2024, Malta Today survey had the same numbers as the last one this April. Yet the 24000 turned out to be 8500. As in the previous survey 22-23 % chose not to say anything, so in my opinion we will not know exactly what are the real numbers until there is an election.
Don’t blame Bernard Grech. Blame the Police Commissioner and the Attorney General for their unwillingness to investigate the political crooks..
Jekk qieghed tirreferi ghalija, iva ninsab hafna aktar komdu llum milli kont taht il-PN bil-kontijiet li kienu salbuni. Milli jidher int kellek id-dawl u l-ilma b’xejn. Heqq,kulhadd b’xortih hux!! Kien hemm min ta lilu nnifsu zieda ta’ 500 Ewro fil-gimgha bl-arretrati mill-2008 biex ma jbatix imbaghad lilna qalilna li bil-qalb kien se jivvota biex il-kontijiet ma jorhsux. Ara ma tahsibx li se ninsiha din.
Ziedu il-minimum wage? Minn ?5.53 ghal ?5.54 fis siegha? ??
U llum serquna 400 miljun min fuq sahhitna! Hadulna artijiet pubblici biex saru miljunarji…..x izjed!! Dawk diga nsejthom?
What Ms Muscat could have mentioned is that scandals prop the government. People get a government they want and deserve.
Unless anything happens beyond the control of government, we’ll be having same government.
Hahaha…lol Cassola??? OMG
The EP election doesn’t count. It is an election with no direct consequence for Malta and thus people use it for other means, like protest vote.
It is an illusion for the PN and it was mindboggling seeing the PN canvassers celebrating at the counter hall. AT that point and watching that pointless celebration, I realized that the PN has no future.
Except that the PL are a bunch of INCOMPETENT criminals . . .
Don?t forget the 8000 workers that were absorbed by the government back in 1987. We are still paying their pension.
Exactly. Ahna tfal tal-furbani.
The only realistic option to counter PL dominance is for PN and Momentum to form an alliance (similar to Busuttil’s Forza Nazzjonali). And what does Grech do? He excludes it from the outset, such is his political acumen. Grech is a hobbyist who is only holding on to power to have some stories to tell to his grandchildren.
Why is that??
Saviour dejjem insibu l iskuzi u qatt ma nammettu li il pn mhux alternattiva ghal pl u daqshekk. Qabel ma jinbiddlu l affarijiet mil qiegh il pn jibqa fl oppozizzjoni u il pl jibqa ghaddej min fuq kulhadd.
I have nothing to add with what you said. I am 83 and always did the right thing since 1962. I have no regrets in life, even though I have been through many rough times in my life. My only hope in life is that my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren do not face the same facts we faced since 1971. I have no regrets for whatever I did.
The 8500 was only in MEP elections because of Metsola not PN.Infact gap in local council elections held concurrently was circs 20000
Bizzejjed tara l FB tieghu hlief funerali u qaddisin ma tarax.Kif irid jispira liz zghazagh
The only who can fill that void, Metsola, prefers the spotlight and salary of a ceremonial role. Grech is a damp squib but there are no immediate replacements. Borg may not have depth of thought but in today?s world image is all and Grech has zero image
Yes. For all his genuine significant efforts Bernard Grech has in the end failed. He does come across as a wet lettuce and is easily forgotten. Unfortunately good policies without a strong personality do not cut the mustard. This failure is eating at the PN and there are those around him now eyeing for a change of leadership. Ironic that all those around him are the primary cause for that failure – support for Bernard Grech within the PN has never been rock solid. Should they replace him and race to the election with a new unknown face? That would guarantee more political wilderness and an existential threat to the PN. The task to overcome the vote gap ( according to most polls) is huge and a massive challenge for Bernard Grech , let alone a new unknown face. The only person capable of turning the tide is Roberta Metsola who is obviously happy in Brussels. Who could blame her for that choice. One way forward for the PN is to keep Bernard Grech and replace him after the election. Changing leadership now will only broaden the vote gap. Bernard Grech is a political lame duck .. but there are no other ducks around ? unless Roberta Metsola acts and acts quickly.
Well said. It?s like every time a new issue arises the PN sits and thinks and studies a possible response and by the time they do respond. the people have stopped listening or forgotten. It?s crazy mad ! Like they are so scared of a decision because that may have an impact on the votes. There is NO CONVINCTION. Any that exists is lost in the noise ( or is it silence ?).