The Nationalist Party is at a crucial juncture. The electorate is sending us a clear message: either reform and unite around a core set of values we can credibly project or be damned to irrelevance.
The easiest reaction would be to stick our heads in the sand. For many months, in our professional and political capacity, we have diverted our attention to battling a government that has dragged our country through mud.
We fought as our most important assets were ripped and ravaged: our hard-earned taxes, our hospitals, vast pieces of public land. We fought while people were being robbed and cheated of the respect and truth, they have a right to.
Yet, for all our endeavours, we have consistently struggled to make the impact one would naturally expect in such circumstances. In any other situation, such vile and unspeakable acts would have toppled even the strongest governments. And yet in Malta, a scandal-ridden administration moves forward practically unfazed.
The polls speak volumes in these circumstances. Elections held so far have also sent us a message which has not been heeded. In the election for the European Parliament we lost the third seat that had previously given the party so much hope. In the local councils elections, we lost with 47,000 votes. Polls now show that this trend of losing with larger margins has continued to develop.
Although it stands to reason that we are crippled in our efforts to lead and to bring about change, we cannot let it stifle us or engulf us. The challenges that the Nationalist Party and Malta face demand a credible, united, and strong opposition.
Credible, because we need to stare those who elect us in the eyes and convince them we are serious about our intentions to bring about change. That we’re not just crying wolf. We mean business even if that means we need to rejuvenate ourselves. We must ensure that our policies are built with the stakeholder and implemented with them.
We must ensure that people choose PN because they can feel part of a dream which is based on their aspirations; a project that founded on truth, credibility and on what is right. We want a project that leads to a level playing field for everyone and one which is lead by a collegiality of experience and youth.
United, because the Nationalist Party’s greatest success has always been its capacity to bring together people with wildly different backgrounds and views around common causes and objectives. We’ve always been a big tent party and take pride in representing a colourful mosaic.
The Nationalist Party is for everyone because its scope is to have a society that provides for the needs and aspirations of persons coming from different walks of life.
I will continue to do my utmost to deliver a united party- Therese Comodini Cachia
Visionary, because we need to provide solutions to the challenges we face as a nation by understanding the challenges that people face. And to do so, we need to reimagine the values that form the bedrock of what we stand for: our belief that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity, that everyone should be given every opportunity to succeed and improve their quality of life, and our commitment to build on Malta’s success.
We can only succeed if we treat each person with dignity and respect; each has his/her own aspirations and our role is to be there to foster that aspiration to fulfilment and not to kill it.
The challenges we face as a country and as a party should strengthen the resolve of all those who believe in the ability of the Nationalist Party to be a real force for change.
I, for one, refuse to give up hope. I have taken the toughest step forward to be a catalyst for the right way forward. I will continue to do my utmost to deliver a united party, a party that discusses and agrees on themes collectively with grassroots within and with stakeholders in different areas.
We need to rebuild the bottom up approach the PN was so well noted for, the dialogue that was ridiculed by those who wanted to plunder, but which translated in Malta’s success.
Wherever we look, we see fresh shoots springing up that give cause for optimism. We see coalitions of young people organise events on a weekly basis to clean our countryside and coastline, demand action around climate change, and call for building and planning policies that are driven by sustainability and respect for life. These are voices that are generating a real wave of change wherever we look. Even within the Nationalist Party, a young generation clamours for change.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the very best in our communities: a real spirit of solidarity for those in need. Young chefs have opened makeshift kitchens and delivered food to struggling families.
Community helpers continue to deliver vital materials to the elderly and other vulnerable groups. And our healthcare workers gave their all to protect us in our time of weakness. We need to stand strong together to ensure that the Maltese can win this battle too.
The Nationalist Party deserves to be a credible, united and strong party once again. Its 140 years of history give it a good foundation. We must recognise the bold actions of those who came before us, understand the challenges of today and courageously move forward in the right way. The party needs us to stand up for it and for Malta.
Therese Comodini Cachia is a Nationalist MP.