Nationalist Party leadership hopeful Bernard Grech would make sure the party is once again a “modern and progressive movement” if elected leader, according to his electoral manifesto.  

Unveiling his manifesto on Tuesday, Grech made no mention of his plans for how he would secure electoral wins for the party but said simply he is convinced the PN can once again be a winner. 

“If you trust me with the leadership, the first win we achieve together is that of unity. The second will be that we will renew the party and provide a strong and credible vision for the Maltese people. 

“The third win would be that the party would again be a modern and progressive movement,” he said.

Grech said the party needed unity and so if elected he would “work tirelessly” to bring people together, something he had been saying since announcing he would run for the role. 

“I will work in a way that will earn me people’s trust as I do not want to assume or impose this on anyone,” Grech said in the document addressed at party members. 

Paid-up PN members will vote for their new leader on October 3, with Grech going against leader Adrian Delia in the two-man race that comes after years of unrest within the party. Both men have been cleared to run by the party’s electoral commission.

Outlining a set of other priorities he hopes to accomplish if elected leader, Grech said he wants to be a PN leader that can be trusted and promises to “listen and act”.

Grech said he would ensure fresh faces are involved in the party, while making sure that all of its MPs and officials are given the space to work.

The lawyer said he was also committing to sitting down with those who might have voted for Delia. Women, he said, will also be more involved, including in the party’s leadership. 

To improve internal dialogue, Grech will be making sure the party makes full use of its structures and that it follows all that is laid out in the statute. 

On young people, Grech said that for the PN to be relevant, it needed to give space to young people and trust they can lead the party into the future. 

“I assure you that I will be doing my utmost to bring more talented and enthusiastic young people to all of party’s structures, including as candidates to run elections at every level,” Grech said. 

The leadership hopeful also wants the party to continue investing in the party’s resources to generate new sources of funds. He said he will appoint a “technical team of professionals” to continue work that had already started on this. 

With Grech as leader, the party would keep investing in its existing media but would also look at expanding its online presence. 

Read Grech's manifesto in the PDF below.