Last Wednesday you were elected the Nationalist Party's secretary-general. What type of secretary general are you going to be?

My main focus will be on two aspects. First of all, I will be responsible for the structure and mechanism of the party, and this entails an administrative role so as to ensure that the organisations in the party are working smoothly. The second thing is to devise a communication strategy that works perfectly. These two aspects go together because you can have a good message; however, if you have a poor administration and an institution that does not back up that message and does not have any idea how that same message can be delivered to the public, then you have a failed recipe and vice-versa. These two characteristics go hand in hand and it is crucial that they work in harmony.

What is the first thing you did as secretary general?

The first thing I did was to listen and evaluate what there is and what there isn't and what sort of ideas there are so that the party can have a concrete plan. The people who are giving me feedback are the party officials, employees, party members and the public in general. It is very important to see that the public now believes, more than ever, that we are not a closed party.

But how are you going to implement what you have in mind when the party already has two deputy leaders and a chief executive officer?

I have my own ideas; the party has a leadership team and not just me. I am not going to be presumptuous and turn everything upside down because a lot of good work has been carried out; but more needs to be done. We are half way to the next election. The next step is that we strengthen what has already been done, such as the structures within the party. Some of the recommendations that were proposed in the report that was compiled after the PN lost the general election have been implemented, others still have to be. A lot of the work that has been carried out cannot be seen by the public but it has been done. I am convinced that I will work well with the party leadership and the CEO. When it comes to politics and policies, the deputy leaders are responsible for their respective roles. I will work in coordination with the CEO, with whom I have a good relationship. We will work together to make sure that the commercial aspect of the party media runs smoothly.

After the leader and the deputies, the role of secretary general is the most important one in the PN. The person holding the post needs to know exactly how the party machine and its members work. How are you going to do your job when until two years ago you almost had no clue where the PN headquarters were?

My first task in the PN was two years ago when, together with a team, I had to present a report on why the PN lost the 2013 general election. That report gave me a good grasp of politics, what people needed from the party and what the faults of the PN were. I also had the opportunity to meet a lot of party members during the executive elections but this is still a process and I'm still learning.

So those who say that you were not part of the party machinery are not right?

I agree with them but what I am bringing to the party is a new dimension and perspective since I was not part of the party machine. I think that it is very healthy to have people come from outside as they can tell the party more about the public's perspective.

What should the PN represent and where do you want to take it?

If you expect me to give you a type of labelling, I will not. I think the party is focusing mainly on three pillars: good governance, culture and environment. I want the people to look at this party as a place where they find people who listen to them and a party which is an alternative government. Let us not forget that in three years' time an election will be held. We are determined that we will reach our goals.

What are you going to do so that the party will not be just a party that opposes Joseph Muscat but an Opposition that gives ideas and solutions?

It's already happening. Who says that the Opposition is wrong? The role of the Opposition is to hold the government accountable, but on the other hand the Opposition has offered many proposals. When I meet people who tell me to stop giving ideas to the government, my reply is always the same: we do not want the PN to win the next election because Joseph Muscat and the Labour Party are messing up; no, we want the PN to be credible and be the party with the better ideas.

What are your ideas about the PN media?

I believe that we need to be more professional, increase our audience and become more technically advanced. We have projects in the pipeline which will be announced later on. What I can tell you for the time being is that I am in discussions with the media section.

What does Rosette Thake think of Joseph Muscat?

Joseph Muscat had promised that he would lead an accountable and transparent government. So far he has not done so. This worries me a lot because it's not good for the country. When we hear the latest news about the new code of ethics, the fact that our Prime Minister and Cabinet will decide by themselves what is in the national interest is worrying.

In your first interview with NetTV you agreed that the result of the local council election showed that the gap between the PN and PL narrowed by half. Do you really believe it?

I believe that the gap narrowed in various localities but more work still needs to be done. My aim is for the gap to continue to shrink and disappear completely.

What does the PN need to do to win the next election?

The administration and party machinery must be in top notch condition, we must continue to develop and update PN policies and communicate our political message to the public better. If these three things happen and people see that the PN is credible I think we will make it. My focus is that the party offers a solid alternative to the government.

What happens if this strategy of yours fails?

Don't look at failures. It's not in my vocabulary.

The last quarter of a century was glorious for the PN. It was in the driving seat and the PL followed. From policies to communication, from organization to people it attracted to it, it was always the front runner. Today this is no longer the case. What happened?

I think there were individuals who stopped listening and when you stop listening you cannot react in an effective way. The PN is now working on this and it has established structures and personal contact on how to listen to the public. We have opened our doors and it is very crucial that we show that we are listening.

There are individuals who argue that the majority in the country support Labour and the PN only wins by default. For instance, in 1998 the PN won because of Alfred Sant and the fight with Mintoff, in 2003 it won because the PL took the wrong decision on EU accession, and in 2008 because people still could not trust Alfred Sant. Do you agree with this analysis?

To a certain extent I agree with the analysis but we have to recognize that 25 years in politics is a very long time. This is the electoral cycle taking its course.

But don't you think that the phrase we have to listen is now a cliché for the electorate?

First of all to be able to listen you have to make yourself available. In practical terms do home visits and meet the people. Apart from listening, you need to come back to the party and give your feedback on what was said to you. This is also very crucial.

What do you think the party needs to do to reach young people?

Youths have their own language, primarily social media and other networks. We are going to strengthen these tools but it could be that part of the renewal would entail political clubs having the appropriate space for them. These are things that need a lot of discussion but it's possible.

You were on the committee that analyzed the PN election defeat, the biggest one in the history of the country. In one sentence and I insist one sentence, why do you think the PN lost so heavily?

I'm going to repeat myself. It stopped listening to the people. 

You said that you are divorced. Did you agree with the PN stand against divorce?

Since I am a divorced person, I can't be against it. It would be hypocritical of me, but I do not want to get involved in these issues because my main role is purely administrative.

So you are telling me you do not have an opinion?

If I am divorced it stands to reason that I am in favour of it, but I think the party did the right thing to call a referendum.

How did you vote in the spring hunting referendum?

I voted against spring hunting.

Are you in favour of civil unions?

Yes, I am in favour and I am in favour of civil rights.

So you did not agree with the abstention of the PN in Parliament?

The PN at that time decided to take that stand, but the way the party is acting now is showing progress in this sector. We showed this for instance with our big presence in the gay pride last Saturday; we have Alex Mangion, a transgender who was elected as a PN councillor in Attard and Karl Gouder, who was the first gay MP and is now mayor of St Julian's.

But you don't only have liberal people but also conservative ones in the party. What do you tell them?

I understand and appreciate that there are people who have certain views because of their religious beliefs, but we have to read today's messages that the world is sending us. We need to be open to the fundamental principles which are social justice and solidarity, and these are realities that the party cannot ignore.