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WATCH: Kristina Chetcuti Opens Up About PN’s ‘Soul-Searching’ On Civil Liberties

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Disclaimer: Lovin Malta has asked the Labour Party for an interview with the Prime Minister’s wife Michelle Muscat, or another representative from the party. We are awaiting a response.

When the results of the 2013 election were announced, Kristina Chetcuti sighed a breath of relief. 

“I really believed the country needed a change and when the election result came out, which was overwhelming, I said, great, we finally have a chance for a government to make radical changes because it won’t be bothered about losing votes. I had hope,” she told Lovin Malta.

Fast-forward to 2017, and the former Times of Malta reporter is now the partner of Opposition leader Simon Busuttil. 

She’s also fired up and feeling as strongly about politics as she did back in 2003, when Malta was debating whether or not to join the European Union. 

“I feel we were deceived by three people who are leading the country,” she says, referring to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, his chief of staff Keith Schembri and Minister Konrad Mizzi.

Chetcuti is also feeling more comfortable within the Nationalist Party now that it has spent several years “soul-searching” and has become more open especially about civil liberties.

A divorcee herself, she says the PN has come a long way and has now even embraced gay marriage. She is also passionate about the need to be more open minded when it comes to the legalisation of marijuana, which she believes could help curb drug trafficking.

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“Everybody feels they can be a coach, but then when you have a party with the whole baggage and structures, it’s not that easy to just change things from one day to another, you need time.”

Asked about what advice she gave Busuttil after the PN abstained from the civil unions vote in 2014, Chetcuti says the couple had just started dating back then, so it was “still early days”. She adds: “Everybody feels they can be a coach, but then when you have a party with the whole baggage and structures, it’s not that easy to just change things from one day to another, you need time.”

Chetcuti says she has faith in the Maltese electorate and hopes they will put their trust in Forza Nazzjonali, the coalition between PN and Partit Demokratiku

“The fact that you have another party there to keep check on the main party that makes a whole lot of a difference. Also, there is another factor: the good governance proposals.”

“There would be lots of checks and balances. What we are living now – this surreal, surreal situation we are in – can’t ever happen again because of these proposals.”

Watch the full interview in the video above.

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Christian is an award-winning journalist and entrepreneur who founded Lovin Malta, a new media company dedicated to creating positive impact in society. He is passionate about justice, public finances and finding ways to build a better future.

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