The actions of PN party members which detract from the party’s work or confuse its message have been described as “inherently problematic” by the party’s chief spokesperson Peter Agius.

Agius was writing on Facebook after a spat between a PN candidate and civil society NGO Repubblika.

“The Nationalist Party is focused on its efforts to build an alternative government for Malta. This is a crucial time for the country. We need to rebuild our reputation and get off the FATF greylist”, he said, before also mentioning having to work with international partners on subjects such as Covid-19 and climate change.

“In light of this, actions by party members that detract from the party’s work or confuse the message are inherently problematic”, Agius said.

“Anything that distracts us in our mission is helping labour continue the degradation of Malta’s name, environment and societal fabric”, he added.

Agius pledged to keep working with PN leader Bernard Grech to unite the party in a coordinated message.

Agius was writing after PN candidate Alex Borg condemned a Civil Society Network post on social media suggesting that a new party should replace the “faltering” PN.

In his criticism, Borg included Repubblika, which is a different organisation altogether, and said that he disassociated himself from such entities, “whose aim went beyond the principles and values of our glorious party”.

Repubblika reacted by describing the candidate’s post as a “fascist attack” and demanded an apology – which thus far has not been forthcoming.