The Nationalist Party has to take heed of the message sent by the electorate and become a party for tomorrow, PN Leader Simon Busuttil said this morning.

Speaking at the PN Fleur-de-Lys club, Dr Busuttil announced that he will meet with former EU Commissioner Joe Borg tomorrow to start identifying new candidates for the next local councils and general elections.

“Becoming a party for tomorrow does not mean that we will discard those who have always been loyal to the party but we need to embrace new people and give them the space to work and change the party. We need to truly understand and embrace people’s needs and aspirations.

Dr Busuttil said last weekend’s EP election result may have dealt a heavy blow to the PN, but the party could return to its former glory if it heeds the electorate’s message, unites and keeps aiming for the top. The PN Leader said there were two results on Sunday. “The PN won its third seat for the first time. We lost the first two elections but this one was a draw. But there was also the other result. That result showed how realistic we were when we made it clear that we could not possibly overturn last year’s election result in the space of a year. We were honest and said it would be difficult. But we also said from the start that we could win the third seat, and we did.”

The second result was a blow to the PN. “We would have obviosly also liked to narrow the gap, but we knew that it would have been a very difficult task. The electorate gave out a clear message. The message was that we have to truly understand people’s needs and aspirations. The electorate did not see a reason for change this time round. We need to keep changing. Unless we change people will not choose us. The question is: what will we do now? We need to keep strengthening the foundations we laid a year ago. “We changed the party leadership and statute, we have been tackling our financial issues. But we need to do more. We need to introduce new people to the party. We have to be a party for tommorrow. This is not the moment to abandon the party. It is the moment when everyone should unite and work for the party. We need the best people there are. We need them today and we will give them the space they need.”

 Dr Busuttil spoke of a youtube video he has seen recently. “Four athletes were competing but the one who was in front slipped and fell and was left behind. Do you know what she did? She stood up, kept running and won the race. That is exactly what we have to do. Never give up. Nothing is impossible if we all pull the same rope.”

Work together in the EP, bring the same unity to Malta

Dr Busuttil said that PN and PL MEPs will now have to work together more than ever. Since neither the EPP  nor the Socialists have a majority in the EP both political blocs have to collaborate. The PN Leader said the irony in this is the fact that Malta’s new MEPs have to work together in the EP but are on opposing ends when they are in Malta. “During a meeting I had with all six MEPs I told them to work together in the EP and also bring the same unity with them to Malta. Unity is better then divisiveness.”

Dr Busuttil thanked all the party candidates, who gave their all to the party. He said he appointed David Casa as the PN’s head of delegation in the EP. Mr Casa is the longest-serving Maltese member in the EP. “David now has a big responsibility in leading a delegation that has grown.” The PN Leader said the fact that the EPP has lost a number of seats will give a stronger voice to the PN MEPs.

He also congratulated Roberta Metsola, an already seasonedMEP who obtained a “phenomenal” number of votes and Therese Comodini Cachia, who is well-adapted to politics. “Like Mr Casa and Dr Metsola, Therese has the right ingredients to be a good MEP and make us proud.”

PN will not back down from ‘huge’ challenge

David Casa, who has been elected to his third term in the EP, said the three PN MEP’s will form part of important committees that are relevant to Malta. They will also make sure that Malta’s name is mentioned more often in the EP.

Mr Casa also spoke on the “highly disappointing” election result and said one of the reasons could be that the PN did not listen enough. “We can become stronger not by discarding our principles but by waking up and becoming a party that makes sense in this day and age. We have to change and we have to make sure that our party represents the wishes of the Maltese and Gozitan people. But we also have to be leaders.”

The PN’s head of delegation in the EP stated bluntly that the PN lost Saturday’s election.

“We have to admit that we lost on Sunday. We did reach our aim of winning the third seat, what we had waited for for ten years, but make no mistake, we lost the election. We are now facing a huge challenge, but we have never been ones to back down.”

Roberta Metsola, who will be serving as an MEP for a second term, said the PN managed to reach its main aim – to win the third EP seat. This was a just result for a party that has always believed in the EU. “The three of us will work hard in the EP to make people’s lives better, said Dr Metsola, who also insisted that the PN MEP’s will strive to make the party stronger.”