Nationalist MP Claudio Grech will not be contesting the PN leadership, he said in a Facebook post this evening, while Chris Said, a contender for the PN's Leader position, said that he would want Grech close were he to win.

He said that, "over the last weeks, many people encouraged me to contest for the leadership of the PN. These people are committed PN voters, with many of them being PN Members who I never met; People who do not need to curry favor with the establishment; People who are not jockeying for some position; People who have a strong bond with what the PN always stood for; People who want to have a Party that represents the values they cherish."

Grech said that, "for me this encouragement was overwhelming; a feeling which is difficult to articulate in words. I explain why. I was raised in the PN. As a small child I ran around in the maze of the Stamperija corridors, at a time when living your political beliefs was difficult.. I was brought up to love what the PN stands for, embrace the vision it had for our country and the values it fought for. As such there are no words to express the fulfilment for serving as a PN MP, a privilege I shall cherish for life. So one can only imagine the sense of pride this grassroot encouragement instilled in me."

"But having the PN at heart means that my decision be driven by responsible discernment, in which personal ambition and achievement are side-lined."

The PN MP said that, "I believe that leading the PN and the Opposition is a different thing altogether. It is not something which can work out by trial and error, simply on a gut feeling or based on a hunch. The implications of this role for our democracy are massive, even more so at this juncture."

"Whoever worked with me knows that I am down-to-earth. I believe that progression is achieved by the right momentum generated through a steady pace forward. Certainly not by high jumps. As an MP I shall contribute all my strengths to the PN, whilst I steadily work hard to learn more about society and being a better politician. I want to immerse myself in the social reality of my constituency; the dark side of our society wherein so many people are living miserably and have given up on the empty talk of politicians."

He added that another reason why, in the present circumstances, he could not bid for leadership because, "unfortunately, over the last years, boundaries were drawn up demarcating the political space of 'conservatives' and 'liberals' which generated a silent hostility. Throughout the term, the choice was between blind loyalty to the Party and being true to one's views of what the PN always stood for. Over the last weeks, when I raised the logic of the Party giving a free vote to its MPs on issues involving ethical considerations, hostility intensified on the grounds that the decision was taken by the highest Party structures."

He said that, "being a political direction adopted by the Executive Committee and the Kunsill Generali, my prospective leadership would not only put me in a constant quandary but, more materially, would also negatively impact the PN's focus. This would distract it from matters of much higher importance, not the least the threats to our institutions."

"Indeed politics is about principles. I hope the time will soon come when the PN will shine again, live this maxim and move forward in the belief that our mission is about being a popular choice for a stronger, better and fairer government."

Grech said that, "the PN I dream of is one that will prevail by embracing diversity through courageous politics and not dogmatic imposition. The PN I seek is the one that can ably reflect Christian democracy in today's modern society and economy, moving forward without disowning its roots. I shall work hard for a PN that supports opposing views, passionate as they may be, and allows them to serenely co-exist on the strength of convergence.

He ended his post by saying that, "till then, I shall strive relentlessly to represent the silent majority that believes in what the PN always stood for."

Grech, who contested the general election for the second time on the first district, got 2,606 votes in the first count and was elected without a quota with 3,359 votes. In the last legislature, the 42-year-old MP, was first appointed shadow minister for health and later as a shadow spokesperson for the economy. Grech worked at senior levels in the public sector for over 14 years, including that of Head of Secretariat of Minister for Investment, ICT and Infrastructure Austin Gatt. 

Chris Said statement

Chris Said, who is contesting the PN Leader position,  said in a Facebook post that he has spoken with Claudio Grech, and believes that Grech has the qualities that would make a good leader. ”Claudio, the party needs you and your ideas. If I am Leader I would want you close to me, allowing you all the space you need so that you can give all you can so that together we will become stronger, and win.”