Bernard Grech is the sole contender for the post of Nationalist Party leader, with a nomination period ending on Saturday at 12pm with no prospective challengers putting their name forward. 

Since he is the sole candidate for the post, Grech will only need a simple majority vote among party councillors to be confirmed as PN leader.

According to the PN statute, the party leader is obliged to step down after losing the general election, giving party members the opportunity to elect a new candidate should they wish to do so.

Grech was the only candidate to have said he intended to run.

Had other candidates contested the post, the party would have been obliged to hold a secret vote among its entire membership base. With just one candidate, the vote will instead be held, in secret, among the party's more restricted group of councillors.  

Around 1,500 people will be asked to vote in this election. No date has yet been set but sources said it is expected to be held around mid-May.

The party will now conduct a due diligence exercise on Grech before the call is issued for an official nomination.

Grech became PN leader in October 2020 when he obtained 69.3% of party members’ votes when contesting against former leader Adrian Delia.

Delia ruled out re-contesting the post, as had newly elected acclaimed criminal lawyer Joe Giglio and new MPs, Mark Anthony Sammut and Gozitan MP Alex Borg.

A Malta Today survey published earlier this month found that almost 70% of PN councillors want Bernard Grech to stay on as leader. Respondents cited Joe Giglio, Roberta Metsola, Adrian Delia, Alex Borg and Franco Debono as potential alternatives.