The Nationalist Party will be replacing its historic Independence Day celebration at Floriana's the Granaries with a more low-key 'commemorative' activity this year.

The activity will be held at the Independence monument, a short walk away from the Floriana square that traditionally hosted the annual PN event, and will involve representatives of social partners. Party leader Bernard Grech will close off the event with a speech.

This year's programme for the national day was announced by  PN deputy leader Alex Perici Calascione and secretary general Michael Piccinino in a press conference on Monday. They also announced the theme for the party's festivities,  'Il-kwalita tal-ħajja li tixirqilna' (The quality of life we deserve).

Last week, a senior party official told Times of Malta that the PN had opted to scale down its Independence Day celebrations in view of the party's challenging financial state. The decision, the official said, was a "financially responsible one.

For years, the PN organised week-long Independence Day celebrations that culminated in a boisterous mass meeting at the Granaries, also known as St Publius square. Thousands of party supporters attended the closing rally. 

But as PN support dwindled and the party's balance sheet turned a darker shade of red, the party changed tack. In 2019, the party shifted its Independence Day programme to a smaller event outside party headquarters. In the subsequent two years, COVID-19 restrictions meant there was no celebration at all.

The party continues to struggle through a debt crisis and is understood to have brought in financial experts to draw up a plan to overcome the debt crisis, which is putting a €2 million strain annually on the party's cash flow. 

Talks on quality of life and sports activities 

Piccinino said this year's activities will begin on September 16-17 with a number of meetings between the PN and unnamed activists. 

Two open discussions will be held on September 18 and 19 at PN clubs in Naxxar and Siġġiewi, where topics such as 'quality of life' will be discussed. 

The 'commemorative activity' at the Independence monument will be held on September 20, the eve of Independence Day. 

Apart from this, the programme also includes sports activities, such as a 5km run/walk and shooting activity on Wednesday, September 21, and a political activity in Gozo on Sunday, September 25. 

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