These are the four MPs who could become PN's next deputy leader

At least four elected MPs who performed well in the general election are being named as possible deputy leaders for the Nationalist Party (PN), although sources say few are eager on a contest for the post.

Former PN leader Adrian Delia, Rebekah Borg, Mark Anthony Sammut and Darren Carabott are among those who could take over from Alex Perici Calascione or take a place by his side.

During his campaign for the PN leadership last summer, Alex Borg pledged to amend the PN statute and have two deputy leadership posts in the party’s structure. Sources said those plans are still in place.

However, they are unlikely to be implemented at the upcoming general council but in another session later in the year.

Currently, Perici Calascione is the PN’s only deputy leader. Like Borg, he will have to be reconfirmed by the party’s general council following the defeat at the election last week.

Times of Malta is informed that the council is expected to be called “as soon as possible and probably before the summer”.

While Borg enjoys strong support and is unlikely to face a leadership challenge, several in the PN are questioning whether Perici Calascione should stay on, some wondering whether the deputy leader has underperformed since he was first elected in July 2022.

PM Deputy Leader Alex Perici Calascione with party leader Alex Borg. Photo: Times of Malta

Others pointed to Perici Calascione’s electoral performance.

The first-time candidate was elected in the Ninth District. He nabbed the PN’s third seat after Joe Giglio and Eve Borg Bonello, having to wait until the 28th count to secure a seat.

In the first district, Perici Calascione did not get a seat after placing third among PN candidates.

“As deputy leader, it’s not exactly a strong performance,” one commented.

Still, others argued that Perici Calascione dedicated most of the campaign to promoting the party at the daily evening events held by the PN, at the expense of his own electoral efforts: “Whatever people might say, he put the party before everything else in this election”.

Whether he retains the post or not, at least one other deputy leader is likely to join the PN’s top brass in the coming months.

Under the leader’s plan, the PN will again have a deputy leader for party affairs and one for parliamentary affairs. Four elected candidates in particular appear to be in the running.

Delia narrowly lost out to Borg during the PN leadership campaign in September in his attempt to retake the party leadership.

Adrian Delia takes part in a news conference during the general election campaign. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Besides Borg, he was comfortably the party’s strongest electoral performer, retaining the most PN votes in both districts seven and eight.

PN sources, however, have pointed out that taking on the deputy leadership could be seen as a demotion for the man who occupied the party’s top spot for three years between September 2017 and October 2020.

Rebekah Borg has just secured a second parliamentary term after first getting into parliament via a casual election in 2022.

This time around, she managed to get elected in two districts, seven and 11, the only PN woman to do so. Labour’s Miriam Dalli is the only other woman to have managed such a feat this election.

Rebekah Borg, who was elected on two districts, with PN leader Alex Borg during the election campaign. Photo: Facebook/Rebekah Borg

As environment shadow minister, Borg dedicated much of her parliamentary career so far to targeting middle-of-the-road voters.

Besides past leaders, Sammut is the first PN candidate elected in the same election from both a core Labour stronghold in the south, district four, and the PN stronghold district of Sliema.

“That says he can communicate with two very different cohorts of PN voters,” one party official said.

At 40, Sammut is also seen as potentially appealing to the middle-aged demographic, where the PN has consistently underperformed in national surveys.

Mark Anthony Sammut celebrates after being reelected. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Carabott only contested the first district in the election but was among the PN’s top performers, managing to get elected on the first count with 4,923 first-count votes.

As home affairs shadow minister and chair of the parliamentary public accounts committee in the last legislature, he is one of the PN parliamentary group’s senior figures despite only being elected for the first time in 2022.

Darren Carabott at the counting hall. Photo: Times of Malta

Sources within the PN said that, despite at least four potential candidates for the deputy leadership, “the vast majority of the party don’t want to hold an election for the posts”.

“We’ve already had an internal election last September. We don’t need any more. Ideally, everyone can come to some sort of agreement where all are happy,” one source said.