PN Secretary General Francis Zammit Dimech told The Malta Independent on Sunday that Adrian Delia is an asset to the Nationalist Party in its bid to reach out to people.

The Nationalist Party has been trailing behind the Labour Party in the polls for a number of years, with the latter having a very strong lead. Delia has been criticised as being part of the problem with regard to the PN's current low popularity rating.

In an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday about the proposed new PN statute and proposed changes to the party structures, Zammit Dimech was asked how these changes will help the PN close the gap to the PL, and whether Delia is helping the situation or if there could be an issue with him being leader.

"With regard to the party statute, it needs to be seen as one tool among many for the ultimate end. The ultimate end is to be able to reach out to the people, to better connect with them and in this respect, the statute is making the party more inclusive, is emphasising the value of outreach more, is further emphasising the need for political research as well as the need to be out there and reflect what society needs and demands from politicians now."

"In this respect, I think Adrian Delia who is the person elected by the grassroots of the party and whose election was reconfirmed by the party councillors, is a person who has these qualities. He is brilliant in terms of outreach, he is out there with the people, he is very much in contact with what people need, and he is fast on the ball. I think he is there and is an asset for the Nationalist Party. And of course, now post-Covid, I am sure there will be many more activities where we will be working on outreach together with the party leader included."

Asked why Delia is less trusted than new Prime Minister Robert Abela, Zammit Dimech said that credibility at the level of any person, “be it in relation to Adrian Delia or my own or any member of Parliament, is something that needs to be earned and confirmed on a daily basis”. So the truth is that we need to be out there more than ever before, and we need to be conscious of the fact that the PN is certainly the underdog.

“I am not using the term underdog in the same way that Joseph Muscat used that expression with reference to the PL in the past two general elections,” Zammit Dimech said. “I think there he was simply not stating the truth, and that has unfortunately been the case with him on more than one occasion. We are the underdog, not having the same level of war chest, the same level of means, and methods of communication as the Labour Party has.  Having said that, even with all our limitations we need to be out there with the people, in their homes explaining, listening, and learning.”