Bernard Grech said on Sunday he has united the Nationalist Party and reduced the voter gap between the Nationalist and Labour parties by more than half.
Grech was reacting to a Malta Today survey while interviewed by Malta Today editor Kurt Sansone on Sunday, who asked the PN leader if he was actually hindering the party's progress, considering his low trust among voters.
The PN leader said that the party's performance counted more than trust ratings in him which, according to the survey, stands at 16%.
"In the last general election, the gap (between PL and PN) was 39,000, and this survey shows a gap of 15,000," Grech said.
"Does that mean we went forward or backward, and who was leading the PN since the election? It was me," Grech said.
His focus, Grech said, is on leading the PN and uniting it. "And the party has moved forward and is united," he said.
"...There is no internal fighting. Even (former leader and MP) Adrian Delia and I work very closely," he said.
"It was never about me; it was always about the country, and I will keep working for my country through the Nationalist Party".
But will Bernard Grech stay as leader if the PN loses by a large gap in the upcoming European Parliament (EP) elections?
Grech did not give a straight answer, only saying that he and the party were committed to getting the best result in the EP elections.
"We are determined to elect a third seat in the EP and to have a decent representation."
He said the PN's two MEPs, Roberta Metsola and David Casa, are trusted more than the PL's four MEPs together.
"Imagine how much more work we can do if we have three MEPs," he said.
The PN leader also expressed his support for Metsola's push for stronger defence cooperation in the EU.
He said that more EU spending on defence does not go against Malta's neutrality. "If Malta was ever threatened, it would have to turn to its friends in the EU and NATO. When our time of need comes, we will need strong partners to defend us," he said.
"We believe in neutrality, but that does not mean remaining passive about what is happening around us," he said.