Where’s The Spark? PN Protest Felt Like A Recycled Script
After weeks of buildup, the Nationalist Party’s latest protest yesterday ended up being a repeat of the same old formula – a march through Republic Street, some music, youths at the front, and a few of political speeches.
Lawyer Stanley Portelli spoke for around 10 minutes, outgoing secretary-general Michael Piccinino for another 10, and Bernard Grech wrapped things up with a mammoth 40-minute speech. showing
The protest lacked a central focus, instead launching broad attacks on the government – covering everything from the magisterial inquiry reform and the AFM cannabis theft to the cost of living and Robert Abela’s shifting stance on Ukraine.
No bold policy proposals, no strong positioning – just the usual partisan talk.
If the PN is going to rely solely on criticism, why not at least give a platform to people directly impacted by these issues?
A well-spoken law student like Andrew Drago could have challenged the magisterial inquiry reform, a former soldier like Godwin Schembri could have spoken about the cannabis theft, any regular citizen could have highlighted the realities of the cost of living, and a Ukrainian expat or refugee could have shared their perspective on the war.
Then, Grech could have closed the protest with a sharp, 10-minute speech instead of dragging it out for 40 minutes.
This approach would have made the protest more engaging, drawn more public and media interest, and demonstrated that the PN is actually listening to society rather than just talking at it.
At a PN protest last year, an MP admitted to me that the format felt stale, boring, and unengaging.
Yet, nothing has changed. The PN appears to have given up on creativity, running on autopilot in the hope that public frustration with the government will eventually push voters into its arms by default.
Did you attend the PN protest yesterday?
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