This legislature was always going to be hard for the Nationalist Party. The Labour Government has a nine seat majority in parliament, and in terms of numbers, it was always going to be weak.

In addition, the party has just gone through a major overhaul. All the old stalwarts have gone, and its iconic leader Lawrence Gonzi has retired. It was always going to be difficult for the party’s new leadership – the trio of Simon Busuttil, Mario de Marco and Beppe Fenech Adami – to rally the troops and make them believe in themselves.

After losing the last election by 36,000 votes, many wondered whether the PN would be able to gel and unite under a new – and inexperienced leadership. For a good few months – as the PN battled with its financial woes – it seemed that they would not only be weak in terms of numbers in parliament, but also as a hard-working (and hard-hitting) opposition.

But the passport sale scheme seems to have galvanized the party into action. Many of the speakers during the PN’s General Council said that it was not only the PN that was vehemently opposed to the passport sale scheme. They pointed out that other European nations were left fuming by the government’s decision. But they also pointed out that a great many Maltese – from both sides of the political spectrum – are united on the issue. “Our identity is not for sale”, said the PN. And indeed, the party’s stance echoes the sentiment of Joe Public.

The three leaders all gave good and rousing speeches that seemed to focus to party’s energy. It is not only about the party’s opposition to the scheme, it is about the party singing from the same song-sheet and being convinced of what is being said.

During the General Council, it became apparent that PN members have found the courage of their convictions, and are beginning to lay to rest the ashes of the last election landslide defeat. They believe in what they are saying, they believe in the direction that the party is being taken and perhaps most importantly, they believe that the people are on their side.

This leading article’s intent is not to go into the passport scheme itself – we have already done that, and we will continue to do so as the situation develops. The intent of this piece is to highlight the fact that the PN has found its voice, and perhaps more importantly its feet, in order to be a strong and credible opposition that will work hard for the nation’s best interests. This is essential in a modern democracy. A government – no matter where it is from – will only ride roughshod over anyone if it is allowed to do so. Some say that with such a large majority in parliament, it can do what it likes. But that is not the case, and this is the role of the opposition in any healthy democracy. One does not expect the opposition to just criticize for the sake of it. It is expected to take stock of public sentiment and use its own experience to provide the necessary checks and balances for a nation to function democratically. And perhaps, for the first time since the last election, we are beginning to see a healthy and growing opposition party that is slowly finding its way and rebuilding its identity.