Opposition leader Adrian Delia seems to have turned a corner with his latest reshuffle, as some of his most vociferous critics have given the move their endorsement.

Only last February, the Nationalist Party leader was facing open rebellion within his parliamentary group, which triggered a series of high-profile resignations.

Party sources who spoke to Times of Malta on condition of anonymity said the appointment of Francis Zammit Dimech as interim secretary general, following the departure of Clyde Puli – one of Delia’s key allies – had been a crucial factor.

“This reshuffle contrasts sharply with that of February 2018, when a number of MPs had resisted the changes as they felt they were being demoted for not having supported Delia in the leadership race,” one source said.

Entrepreneur Ivan Bartolo, who until recently was calling for a change at the top and had even piloted a no-confidence motion following the PN’s double drubbing in the European and council elections last year, was full of praise for the PN leader.

“Delia’s plan to bring every MP into the mix is a great mechanism to nurture teamwork and increase productivity given our limited resources,” he said.

Bartolo, elected to parliament last month following the resignation of Marthese Portelli, said he was very happy to be shadowing digital society.

“After 35 years in the sector, I have been given the opportunity to give my knowledge and experience back to my country,” he said. 

Another new MP and vociferous critic of Delia, David Thake, gave a positive assessment of the situation within the party.

Delia’s plan to bring every MP into the mix is a great mechanism to nurture teamwork

“I am very happy with the climate change and environment portfolio assigned to me, as this is very close to my heart,” he told Times of Malta.

He said he would remain critical of what he believed was wrong but overall gave a positive evaluation of his relationship with the PN leader in his first month as a member of parliament.

“Every time I spoke to him, he listened,” Thake said.

This environment could be a game changer and could in the future propel the party to government, though not necessarily in the next election, he added.

“The coronavirus outbreak has conveyed a strong message that, instead of widening roads, the authorities could address the traffic situation by facilitating more people working from home,” he said.

Positivity was also palpable among the “group of 17” – the MPs who last February publicly called on Delia to reconsider his position in the wake of his dismal showing in an opinion poll.

Jason Azzopardi said he was honoured to shadow the justice ministry at a time when the government needed to implement the Venice Commission recommendations.

“I pledge to work closely with civil society, especially those on the frontline, like Repubblika, Civil Society Network and Occupy Justice, to build anew a functional rule of law in this country,” he said.

“Until and unless full justice is served on all those within the government who robbed the country’s coffers in the last seven years, we can achieve neither unity nor reconciliation.

“A state without justice is nothing more than a den of thieves,” Azzopardi added.

Another MP who preferred to remain anonymous said Delia had made an effort to fit the MPs into the right places after an open discussion with them.

“On the whole all MPs are happy,” the MP said.

Correction: The list published in The Sunday Times of Malta yesterday inadvertently omitted Claudio Grech as shadowing the minister for the economy.

‘PN responding to reality’

The shadow cabinet reshuffle is intended to readjust the Nationalist Party’s policies to enable it to respond in the best way possible to the post-COVID-19 reality, the opposition leader said yesterday.

In a message on the party’s television station, Adrian Delia outlined the main changes, saying the shifts in priorities reflected the ongoing developments and the need for Malta to hit the ground running when the crisis starts to ease.

He warned that it would be a mistake to put climate change on the back burner: this was another emergency, apart from public health, being faced by the country.

On employment, he noted that within a decade the bulk of those joining the workforce would no longer be employees according to the traditional model but would be venturing out as self-employed.

The opposition leader also emphasised on the need to safeguard democracy while welcoming the recent agreement with the government on the unanimous appointment of the new chief justice Mark Chetcuti.

“Countries like Hungary are using the current crisis to stifle democracy and tighten their grip on power,” Delia said.

He also spoke on the importance of the fight against poverty, social exclusion and the digital divide.

Delia again criticised the government over the concession agreement for the hospitals.

“Had the government rescinded the contract there would have been enough money to give the COVID-19 aid package across the board for all workers and not just 60,000 of them”, he said.

He also called on the government to engage more with businesses, saying the manner in which the authorities were divulging information left much to be desired.

“We need to survive, and plan how to emerge strongly,” he said.

He noted that from a medical perspective, the authorities were being reactive as the virus was new, but such an approach should not be taken on the economy as priorities had to be readjusted immediately.

Delia also warned about the rise in mental health cases due to social distancing measures and the requirement to stay indoors.

“Let us make an effort to reach out to those who are in solitude,” he said.