Lately, there could not have been a more reliable and genuine rating of the PN’s performance than by a growing list of outgoing former MPs, officials and activists who had, for some time, experienced a heavy dose of bitter, unexpected and unwarranted treatment. It seems that the PN is uprooting all that it stands for, what it represents and what it believes in. It must stop conspiring with fat cats to silence nationalist rebels and refrain from disciplining legitimate dissenters. It must stop categorising its people into first and second tiers and it must embrace a single and unified visionary front if it wants to once more make inroads into the Maltese electorate.
Robert Arrigo was the latest to fire a salvo and broadside at the central administration of the PN. Why should he not be believed when he retraced the disappointments he faced over the years while occupying a very vital and important post within his party? He provided credible details and concluded by warning that those things should never happen, never again. The nationalists cannot accept those things if they want to bring the party back on its feet. The PN must not continue to blame the people that went on Facebook to say similar things. Before Arrigo, Mario Galea, Herman Schiavone, Albert Buttigieg, Frank Psaila, former Għasri mayor Daniel Attard, Adrian Delia and, exceptionally yes, even Jason Azzopardi have had to endure an unfair and unjustified backlash for having spoken out about the party’s problems.
Those, and many others like them, do not see or consider themselves as establishment nationalists. I would describe them as “renegade” traditional nationalists since they firmly and genuinely believe that certain aspects and principles that can be traced back to the original roots of the PN, and that now appear to be left on the wayside by the nationalists at the helm, still matter. They are the ones who think that current top nationalist officials deserve censure rather than flattery. They believe that demonstrating personal character is one of the most important responsibilities of the PN leadership or those who are called to service in any part of it. Instead, they are taking the party, or what is left of it, in a very different direction that would be most unfortunate for its future.
They are the ones who do not think that the official endorsements of Bernard Grech or Alex Perici Calascione (as sole contenders for the post of leader and deputy leader) were worth a warm bucket of spit. They believe that ordinary and, like them, hurt, perturbed and concerned nationalists, do not care who has endorsed who. They are the ones who would not discourage nor encourage a budding future leader to challenge Grech. Undoubtedly, they contend that the party needs to take steps to make itself more attractive to young people, minorities and other emarginated and disgruntled voters as well as keep blue-collar workers that Eddie Fenech Adami had successfully and convincingly brought along. Sure, that is not easy to do. No one can begin to predict what will happen in the Nationalist Party this year, let alone four to five years from now. Undeniably, they cannot risk continuing to make life hell for the serving and current PN rank and file, MPs and other officials. They must devise new and effective ways to end the haemorrhage of nationalist blood from a ruptured party.
The PN’s malaise has been growing gradually, and until it figures out how to treat the problem, it will only get worse. No one wanted that outcome, but no one was able to prevent it. Party elders have given up all pretence of being more than spectators and most of the candidates have given up all pretence of party loyalty. On the debate stages, and everywhere else, anything goes. I could continue, but you get the gist. Yes, the PN’s political future I have described is unreal. But it is also a linear extrapolation of several trends on vivid display right now. The current situation reflects the underlying reality that there no longer is any such thing as a party leader. There are only individual actors, pursuing their own political interests and ideological missions willy-nilly, like excited gas molecules in an overheated balloon. Maltese people look at the PN and all they see is chaos. What a relief to them it would be if they finally got their act together.
The PN must revisit its glorious past and strive to grow new, healthy roots. Its present political functioning is a hotchpotch with no discernible roots at all. It should be seriously concerned about growing disillusionment among its supporters and recognise the need for party renewal and practical approaches to implementation. It must be able to recognise the three fundamental characteristics of a successful political party. It must develop and maintain democratic internal structures, promote and enforce transparency and accountability and consistently revitalize membership through outreach to new sectors.
To that end, it must help party activists examine their party’s internal democracy and transparency structures and processes in a creative way, as well as learn specific techniques for targeting and recruiting new members. Furthermore, the PN must reinforce party best practices and empower the party activist to become a catalyst for change. Organisational renewal and revitalisation should be permanent features. By consistently training party members to understand and question party structures and processes, the PN can develop an environment in which informed activists help keep the party and its policies relevant.
For the time being, the PN’s vision is just a medley of notions that do not match the people’s aspirations. It must devise good outreach programmes to be able to better fulfil its role in society, both as a strong opposition and as a government in waiting. Above all, it must start from now in endeavouring to identify and train new political leaders for the party and the country. It must stop being merely a conspiracy to seize power.
Dr Mark Said is an advocate