Alex Borg says 'light at the end of the tunnel' as PN makes gains everywhere

The election result shows there is “light at the end of the tunnel,” Alex Borg said of the PN's election performance when he visited the vote counting hall on Sunday afternoon.

Borg was greeted by applause, stopping to embrace party officials as he entered.

He toured the hall accompanied by PN deputy leader Alex Perici Calascione, as well as several MPs, including Adrian Delia and Mark Anthony Sammut.

Speaking to the media, Borg said “today we have confirmation of why the election was called a year early,” with the PN having successfully slashed the 40,000-vote gap in half in the space of a few months.

He said that although the party suffered a defeat, the result “provides hope”. 

“Now people can see that we have an effective opposition and an alternative government,” Borg said.

He said the party’s current figures showed the PN making gains in every electoral district, with the overall gap between the parties hovering around the 18,000-vote mark.

It also looks likely that PN will win Gozo, he said.

Borg said the result gave him “courage to work harder than ever before,” saying that the party would continue to strengthen itself and show that “it means business”.

PN’s job now was to keep the government in check, he said, making sure it was held accountable for its electoral pledges.

Alex Borg and Adrian Delia embrace on Sunday afternoon. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Asked whether he would be seeking re-election as party leader, Borg said “now there is a process that will unfold in line with the party statute, but I look forward to working harder than ever before”.

Borg thanked party delegates and officials who, he said, had worked tirelessly throughout the campaign to drive "a collective effort".

Earlier in the afternoon, in a recorded message, Borg had told party supporters that the result marked “the beginning of a new chapter”.