Don’t Rest On Labour’s Failures, Adrian Delia’s Former Head Of Media Urges PN After Survey
A new political survey today may have given the PN a huge shot in the arm but Adrian Delia’s former head of media Pierre Portelli has urged the party not to rest on the PL government’s failures.
“The MaltaToday survey is a blip, yet a positive one. Let’s hope the trust gained is not quickly eroded once people forget the hospitals’ scandal,” Portelli told Lovin Malta.
“The results are a reaction from voters to the unity portrayed by the PN over the Vitals court ruling. It is thanks to Adrian Delia that this came about but let’s not ignore the fact that those factions in the PN who ousted Delia, this time acted correctly and publicly gave him the credit he deserves.”
“One cannot ignore the leadership qualities shown by Bernard Grech in managing this outpour of unity.”
“People started to recognise again the PN’s ability to fight for justice. However, to be able to convince more voters to shift, the PN can’t rest on Labour’s failures. It must start adopting a new way of making politics by listening to society and changing with the needs of the people. Only then will the people take a chance on the PN.”
Prime Minister Robert Abela
Today’s MaltaToday survey indicates that the PL enjoys the trust of 30.8% of the electorate, its lowest figure in several years and an eight-point decline since a month. The PN has climbed six points to 28.4%, while the trust rating gap between Robert Abela and Bernard Grech has shrunk significantly.
Naturally, many current and former PN exponents had a few things to say about the survey.
Grech’s former communications head Alessandro Farrugia posted an image of a monster bearing the heads of Abela and his predecessor Joseph Muscat.
“There is no other elegant way to put it. The Labour Party reflects a two headed monster in symbiosis, where one is under threat by the other,” Farrugia said.
“In the last 10 years they purchased silence, buried the right to independent and impartial information, ostracised select individuals, became obese by financial fraud, eradicated social values, imposed supremacy and believed that just like the pied piper they can lead anyone like rats through the streets.”
“Malta seems to be groggily waking up to the hushed state of asphyxia it is in.”
“As I observed a few weeks ago ‘the PN is not dead, for embracing its values gives us nothing to be penitent about’ and although renewal might have come before unity, now that it’s apparently there, all of us yearn for its political mission to provide better prospects for Malta.”
Sociologist and former PN MEP candidate Michael Briguglio said only time will tell whether the PL will manage to create an opportunity out of this crisis and whether the PN will be able to create a political wave “after years of internal crisis and the unfair and disloyal removal of Adrian Delia as PN leader in 2020”.
“Five years after he opened a court case against the hospitals deal, we can now confirm that Delia was right even though he and his supporters were politically attacked from different directions. Perhaps there is a hint of repentance now
“Democracy is dynamic, and this also applies to the politics of social movements and civil society. However, the logic of numbers clearly shows that the PN is the only force which can remove the PL from government and that the most significant victories come at general elections.”
“National history has shown us that several campaigns and elections are won through expansive coalitions, not least with partisan involvement. The creation of such a movement requires internal work as well as work by other political and social forces who must be ready to sideline their prejudices, antipathies and affiliations to create a new victorious force.”
Activist Wayne Flask said Abela and his people have become “increasingly lost in arrogance, disrespect towards citizens’ rights, theft of public resources and hypocrisy”.
“I can understand why the PL didn’t celebrate its ten-year anniversary since getting elected to government. The party is divided because of misplaced loyalty that some within its fold have towards Joseph Muscat, while Abela tries to win loyalty by whipping or exiling people.”
“With the potential of creating a new scandal hitting every quarter of the year, this survey is the classic cherry on the cake of the PL’s ten-year anniversary. History won’t forgive you.”
Cover photo: Left: PN leader Bernard Grech, Right: Former PN head of media Pierre Portelli
Did today’s survey results surprise you?
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