د . إAEDSRر . س

MaltaToday Editor Says Adrian Delia Must Go And Claudio Grech Should Take His Place

Article Featured Image

Left: PN leader Adrian Delia, Right: PN MP Claudio Grech

MaltaToday’s managing editor Saviour Balzan has issued a stinging rebuke to Opposition leader Adrian Delia, urging him to resign in the wake of marital friction with his wife Nickie Vella de Fremeaux.

Vella de Fremeaux recently requested a separation from her husband and MaltaToday reported this morning that PN MP Hermann Schiavone – one of Delia’s most vocal allies within his parliamentary group – had messaged her to warn the party will discuss a “dignified exit” for her husband if she doesn’t lend him her support.

In an opinion piece, Balzan argued that the situation is causing Delia to lose his political focus, to the detriment of the Nationalist Party and the country’s need for a strong Opposition.

“Delia is not fit for purpose. His days are numbered and he cannot take a horse to a stable let alone a whole cavalry. The time has come for him to leave and for the PN to seek a new leader, one who would stand for something and offer a true alternative,” he wrote.

Delia Swearing In

Nickie Vella de Fremeaux has requested a separation from Adrian Delia

Referring to Vella de Fremeaux’s frank admission in a recent interview with Lovin Malta, Balzan noted that “Delia entered the world of politics against the wishes of his wife and children.”

“And the strain of the last months exacerbated itself with reports of inebriated moments, late nights, and flirtatious moments with female aides and friends. It was also clear that his wife’s family had intervened to support the family and children.”

“This was a time-bomb waiting to go off, and the campaigners who worked relentlessly to elect Adrian Delia knew that this was not a remote possibility but a reality. It was only a question of time.”

The MaltaToday editor endorsed Opposition MP Claudio Grech as his successor, a politician who was largely touted to take over the party following last year’s election but who refused to contest the leadership election.

Grech hit the headlines this week when he described the Marsa Open Centre as “a scene from The Planet of the Apes”, a comment he later apologised for. Balzan wrote that this comment may have been a slip of the tongue but that Grech deserves to become PN leader regardless.

“We do not need two Joseph Muscat clones. We need people who have differing views on how society should develop, and who can do this with reason,” he wrote. “Grech may be conservative, but he has the serenity of a modern leader, the composure of a statesman and the respectability of someone who can transform a party to stand for something. If things do not change, Delia will take this party into the European elections and barely manage to elect two, perhaps one MEP. With Grech at the helm one can hope for a natural revival, as well as a healthy transformation.”

“Grech may ask himself if the personal sacrifice is needed or is indeed worth it. If he is in politics then there can be no half-measures. He should approach this gargantuan challenge as Joseph Muscat did in 2008, with humility
and respect for the opposing party. And he should master the time management needed so that he can find time for his family as well as leading and changing his party.”

“Grech, in my view, has the same discipline as Muscat. Both are family men, are not men of excesses but health- conscious, well-briefed and knowledgeable, and capable of bridging with people – even those who disagree with him – and more importantly, logical and eloquent in delivery. The writing is on the wall, it is only a question of seizing the moment. Not doing so, will mean the end of the PN.”

What do you make of this argument?

READ NEXT: There Are Some Things We Simply Cannot Ignore About The Private Lives Of Politicians

Endbanner

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]

You may also love

View All