It has been a tumultuous fortnight for the Nationalist Party.
Some may argue that it is nothing new, given that under the leadership of Adrian Delia and even before that the PN has been at the centre of attention for the wrong reasons too many times.
But there are some things that have changed since the two massive defeats in the elections for the European Parliament and local councils were held on 25 May.
Over the past two weeks the PN has lost two central people, both of whom have resigned under different circumstances.
First we had Mark Anthony Sammut leaving the post of president of the party’s executive committee, and his subsequent interventions in the media exposed all the problems that have beleaguered the party in the past two years or so. Then, more recently, we had Pierre Portelli quitting as the party’s media head, speaking in his resignation letter of “coordinated attacks” by MPs against the leadership.
There’s something else that has changed since the election.
Before the people voted to give Labour so much to cheer about as it went from strength to strength, there had only been well-informed speculation as to the names of those PN MPs and party officials who were believed to be part of a faction that was at loggerheads with the leadership.
Now some of these names are very much in the open – confirming that the speculation about them was, indeed, well-informed.
For example, we had Delia openly chastising MP Jason Azzopardi for his constant attacks on the party via the social media. “I have no more time to waste with him,” Delia told journalists.
This week, Azzopardi was again singled out by Portelli following the latter’s resignation, but another name was added to the list of Delia’s detractors. Karol Aquilina, another MP, was mentioned by Portelli as working against the party’s interests, and the two later went on to have a very public argument on what they think about each other.
Aquilina was then one of two PN MPs interviewed by the national broadcasting station – the other was Chris Said – to say that if they had been in Delia’s position they would have called for a vote of confidence. It must be remembered that Said contested – and lost – the leadership race to Delia.
Speaking to the media after his resignation, Portelli said the party is divided into three factions – those against Delia, those in favour and a chunkier group that stands in between. Again, this confirms – if there was a need for this – that the party is passing through a delicate situation which will be hard to overcome.
There is one thing that has not changed in all this. And this is that no MP or official has so far had the courage to come forward and say he or she is interested to take on the leadership.
They may be whispering against Delia in the corridors, speaking against him in public or on the social media or telling him to go during parliamentary group meetings, but none of them has mustered the nerve to challenge Delia’s leadership openly, or publicly express an interest in taking over the helm.
They have avoided the prospect of a direct confrontation with Delia; maybe because they fear Delia would be confirmed by the members who originally voted him in.
The bigger worry, on a national level, is that all this leaves the country with a fragile Opposition, unable to keep the government in check because it lacks the credibility and unity to do so.