It’s more of a provocation than a suggestion.

But it is one way of showing how the Nationalist Party is at its lowest ebb in history, even lower than the post-2013 election. What happened in the first week of June has left the party in total disarray for the second time in four years. The difference is that, in 2013, the defeat was expected; this time round, victory was still difficult, but nobody thought that the defeat would be bigger than the previous one.

Conversely, the Labour Party is at its strongest point in history. Two wins with a 35,000 margin have consolidated its position, and that of Joseph Muscat, who is arguably now at par, if not better, than the Dom Mintoff myth in the hearts of Labourites.

What’s more, Labour cannot be worried that Joseph Muscat is saying he will not contest another election. Labour knows that it has a crop of politicians who are of leadership material. People like Chris Fearne, for example, who was elected handsomely on two districts and comes across as someone who may not be a charmer like Muscat, but who can nonetheless take over the helm seamlessly.

But there are other, younger, politicians who are steadily climbing up the ranks. People like Miriam Dalli, clever enough to stay away from this election and playing her cards well; Ian Borg, who was promoted from parliamentary secretary to the minister with the largest portfolio; and Robert Abela, who is biding his time and looking to go a step further than his father George, who for a time was Labour's deputy leader.

Chris Cardona and Owen Bonnici were also thinking about it. Their election result must have brought them both back down to earth, given that they barely made it. They may be reconsidering their options now.

This takes us to the Nationalist Party, where the situation is completely the opposite. There was a time when, apart from Eddie Fenech Adami, the party could have been easily led by the likes of Guido de Marco or Louis Galea, Ugo Mifsud Bonnici or Censu Tabone, all people with the leadership skills required.

Today, after the second massive defeat in a row, the PN finds itself with a leadership that has resigned – and rightly so too, given that it has left the party in a worse situation than that of four years ago.

The problem is that there is no natural leader ready to take over.

Simon Busuttil, Beppe Fenech Adami and Mario de Marco have all stepped aside, although many are pushing Busuttil to stay on.

This would be a wrong choice.

It would be a repetition of what happened to Alfred Sant in 2003. He resigned, was persuaded to stay on, and lost again in 2008. The PN would be risking heavily if Busuttil remains and the party faces the next election with Labour having a new leader, if Muscat maintains his promise to leave.

Within the ranks of the PN, there is a dearth of leadership material. The simple mentioning of the possibility that Simon Busuttil stays on exposes this reality.

And this is why Marlene Farrugia was mentioned as a possibility, in spite of her past.

And this is why I mention Michael Briguglio.

He is not the ideal candidate, given his past too, and given his ideals, but is there someone else out there?