The 2019 MEP election was quite a hit to Adrian Delia’s leadership, with the PN having lost the election by the largest amount of votes in post-Independence national elections.

The future for the PN is now more unclear than before. Adrian Delia remains adamant in keeping his position, raising the possibility that there will be a move to oust him. The answer to this question will undoubtedly be answered sooner rather than later.

It is no secret that the Nationalist Party is divided. Indeed ever since Delia’s election to party leader, he has faced one internal problem after another. Yesterday’s election result saw PN districts have the lowest turnout. This is indicative that a portion of traditional PN supporters were not willing to vote PN with Delia as leader. Indeed the total number of votes received by the PN is also less than the amount received in the 2014 MEP elections, meaning that they also have not managed to attract new support since then.

The majority of PN voters also gave their first count votes to Roberta Metsola and David Casa, and not any of the new candidates. While the PN did not lose by the 51,000 originally published, a 42,600 vote loss is still very significant and shows that the PN is still falling behind, losing by a larger margin than in 2017, in an election with a lower overall turnout.

There is no doubt that Delia’s team hoped that the election would have set a brighter picture. A section of PN voters are not willing to trust the PN Leader, and it is doubtful that he will gain their trust before the next general election, if ever. Certain PL followers are urging people to blame the PN and not Delia, meaning that at least some Labour Party supporters believe keeping Delia as leader will help keep the PL strong.

The PN needs to find a way to come together, or risk falling further behind. Some argue that one way to solve all this would be for Delia to step down and for the party to find a suitable successor, accepted by all. Some argue that Delia shouldn’t be changed with a general election just a few years away and that he should be given a chance at it. Removing Delia, they argue, will not solve the PN’s problems, given that most of them are stirred from the inside.

As for the Labour Party, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has just won a massive victory, riding high after a large number of electoral successes. Indeed, he has nothing to worry about in the immediate future, with an almost guaranteed positive result in the coming general election.

However the question remains... will he contest? Muscat has long said that he will only stay on for two terms, this being his second. But more recently, people close to Muscat have been urging him to stay on. Recently, Muscat has refused to say what his next move will be.

If Muscat does leave, and the PL leadership race is cordial, then the PL should not have any issues. However, if it gets bloody, that could help the PN recover some ground.

Another issue surrounds who would run for the post. While there are plenty of good strong candidates within the PL to replace Muscat, other possible contenders would be extremely divisive given their past. If Muscat were to leave, the PL members would need to choose carefully.

If Muscat stays however, it would potentially guarantee a few more electoral victories. A change of heart would raise questions about his credibility but, on the other hand, with him in charge Labour could continue to cruise to victories so PL supporters would not worry too much about that.

Muscat has said that he has grown tired of seeing MPs holding on to their seat. “I want to send out a message that politicians are there to serve the country for a period of time, after which they move on. Everybody has a life.”