Message discipline

From the moment Mamdani launched his campaign, voters knew what he stood for. Rent freezes. Free buses. Public childcare. City-owned grocery stores. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it was clear, repeatable, and felt grounded in real-life concerns. And crucially, it wasn’t just a pitch — it was a plan. It was costed, detailed, and clearly the product of serious time and effort, laying out exactly how he intended to go from proposal to action. Even when the press came after him or rivals accused him of lacking experience, he never took the bait. He stuck to his message.

Contrast that with the PN, whose messages are either vague, painfully reactionary, or too safe to register. Whether it’s civil liberties, economic reform, or corruption, the PN rarely manages to communicate a coherent position that stands out. Instead of taking the lead on major issues, they wait for the government to act, then grumble about the details. It’s not opposition; it’s commentary.

Social media done right

Mamdani’s campaign was a masterclass in how to use social media to engage, not just broadcast. His TikToks and Instagram posts were short, effective, and sincere. They weren’t trying to mimic trends or chase youth engagement through forced memes. They were confident, clear, and smartly edited.

Meanwhile, the PN’s digital output remains cringe. The party seems afraid of humour, allergic to emotion, and unable to decide if it wants to be populist or principled. Worse still, there’s a clear mismatch between the people managing the party’s image and the image it should be projecting.

Owning the narrative

Mamdani wasn’t afraid of criticism. He welcomed it. He was accused of being too radical, too inexperienced, too socialist, too brown, too foreign. And each time, he didn’t deflect or deny. He explained, contextualised, and turned it into a strength.

That’s another thing the PN could learn. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, why not be something to someone? The PN has spent so long trying not to offend that it has forgotten how to persuade. Its leaders seem more worried about appeasing internal factions and ageing diehards than inspiring new supporters.

The power of belief

One of Mamdani’s greatest assets was his sincerity. You believed he believed in what he was saying. That matters. People can spot a politician who doesn’t actually care or who’s saying something because it polls well. Mamdani didn’t offer vague platitudes. He offered ideas grounded in values. He didn’t chase popularity; he earned respect.

This is what the PN desperately lacks. It’s not that Malta lacks capable Opposition MPs or good ideas. But good ideas without conviction don’t inspire. And without inspiration, politics becomes just another chore for voters.

The grassroots matter

Mamdani’s campaign was powered by over 27,000 individual donors and more than a million door knocks. His support came from the bottom up, not the top down. He built a movement before he built a brand.

The PN, on the other hand, continues to be a party that chooses leaders based on internal structures and diehard loyalty rather than public resonance. Leadership races are decided by people who bear little resemblance to the general population, and once elected, leaders spend more time trying to unify the party than inspire the country.

When celebrities endorse you to boost themselves

One of the most telling moments in Mamdani’s campaign came when model and actress Emily Ratajkowski endorsed him. But this wasn’t the usual transactional nod. She wore a shirt that read “Hot Girls for Zohran” and urged her millions of followers to support him. She wasn’t paid. She did it because it made her look good. And she wasn’t alone. Celebrities like Lorde, Cynthia Nixon, Ben Platt, and Sarah Sherman also jumped on board.

This wasn’t about clout-chasing politicians buying endorsements. This was about public figures wanting to be seen as aligned with his message.

The same energy was on display when Mamdani appeared on Subway Takes, a wildly popular social media show where ordinary New Yorkers give their unfiltered views on politics and culture from inside the subway. His segment didn’t feel forced or out of place. It wasn’t a politician awkwardly trying to go viral. It was clear the hosts wanted him there, and more importantly, the audience genuinely wanted to hear what he had to say.

Lessons to be learned 

With Bernard Grech stepping down and a leadership race on the horizon, the PN has a narrow window to change course. Candidates must understand that winning over the party faithful is not the same as winning over the electorate. They must appeal to the public, not just internal structures. They must learn from campaigns like Mamdani’s, not mimic them, but understand what made them successful: clarity, conviction, and community.

That means developing a bold message and sticking to it. It means professionalising their communications and building a competent, creative digital team. It means choosing a leader who can actually speak to the nation, not just the Nationalist Council.

There are lessons here for others too. For independent or third-party candidates, Mamdani’s win proves that you can still cut through the noise. You can still make people care. But he also chose to run within an establishment party, recognising the structural advantages that brings. He didn’t pretend institutions don’t matter. He showed how to bend them.

And for Labour, the lesson is this: social media isn’t just about output. It’s about authenticity. Labour won the social media war long ago, but its digital voice has since mutated into something more propagandistic than persuasive. If it doesn’t correct course, people will tune out.

Mamdani didn’t just win an election. He showed that if you believe in what you say, and you say it well, people will listen. If you build trust instead of spin, people will follow. Malta’s Nationalist Party should be paying close attention.

Because the next election won’t be won with complaints about Labour. It will be won with ideas, courage, and connection. And right now, Zohran Mamdani has more of all three than anyone in the Maltese Opposition.

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