Unity, Reform, And Strategy Take Centre Stage In PN Leadership Debate
In the first debate between Nationalist Party (PN) leadership contenders Adrian Delia and Alex Borg, differences emerged over party structure, unity, and voter outreach.
Alex Borg proposed appointing a CEO to oversee the party’s finances and assets, while leaving the Secretary-General to focus on political work. He also suggested creating a Deputy Leader for Parliamentary Affairs to strengthen internal coordination. Borg went on to stress that PN clubs would not be sold but made more profitable, adding that reforms must match the short timeline before an expected election.
Adrian Delia rejected reducing the Secretary-General’s responsibilities, insisting the role should retain oversight of both finances and political affairs. “The office of the Secretary-General must be strengthened, not weakened,” Delia said, warning against unilateral changes by the leader.
Delia went on to say that he has no problems with the party having two Deputy Leaders but argued they should not be directly appointed. He called for a party convention to define principles and build unity.
Borg advocated a grassroots strategy, pointing to PN’s success in Gozo and calling for the leader to engage directly with communities. “Politics of the people, with the people,” is what wins, Borg said as he discussed a strategy that he would implement to “continue to convince people” as a team.
Delia went on to discuss that it is a good thing that individuals are no longer bound by traditional parties because it implies they are considering more options before selecting one.
The two candidates disagreed with each other’s ideas for the Ombudsman’s role in parliament. Borg would give it powers to implement recommendations that the office makes, while Delia said that the Ombudsman’s role cannot be one of implementation.
Borg and Delia were then asked about euthanasia and abortion and both candidates came out as against both but in the case of euthanasia, Borg would give a free vote if he becomes PN leader. With regards to euthanasia, Delia stressed the need for improvement in palliative care and gives this mission precedence over the discussion on euthanasia.
Both candidates then addressed the question on overpopulation that the Maltese islands face with Borg and Delia agreeing that the current situation is unsustainable. Both agreed that the overpopulation problem affects everyone and that the system needs to be fixed.
What do you make of the candidates’ arguments?
Credit: Talk News
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