Bernard Grech showed some mettle in Parliament last Monday.

His counter arguments to the Prime Minister’s motion on the appointment of the Standards Commissioner were delivered with clarity of thought and determination.

But it takes much more than just one speech in the House of Representatives to persuade a voting population. It is evident that the Opposition Leader, so far, has been unable to lift the Nationalist Party from the political stagnation that it has fallen into.

Grech took over the leadership of the PN 18 months before the last election, which the PN eventually lost by a record margin for the third time in a row. In March 2022, the majority of voters still believed that the Labour Party was the better choice – in spite of all that it had been involved in, including the resignation of the Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, in grim circumstances following the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Even before the official result had been made known, Grech had said that he wanted to continue the journey as PN leader. He sought the opportunity of a full legislature to see what he can do, hoping that he would turn the tide. That message had effectively shot down any potential leadership candidate from stepping forward to challenge him. Grech had then been confirmed as leader in a general council the PN held after the election.

Nearly a year has passed, but it does not appear that the PN is making any inroads into Labour’s massive advantage. Surveys on the political pulse of the nation, the last one being published last week, continue to show the Labour Party firmly in the lead, with Prime Minister Robert Abela enjoying the people’s trust more than Grech does.

The years of in-fighting among the different factions of the PN have left their repercussions, even because the party has failed to regenerate itself notwithstanding the changes at the top. This decade in opposition has seen three leadership races – from Lawrence Gonzi to Simon Busuttil, from Busuttil to Adrian Delia and from Delia to Grech, and this has not given the party the stability it desperately needs. The situation has not improved much from what it was in 2013; if anything, it has become worse considering that the PN has been unable even to dent Labour’s lead.

The uncertainty in the PN fold has not gone away. It has come back to the fore as talk about the PN’s relevance – or lack of it – surfaced again when, for the first time since Malta Today surveys started to be published, the number of respondents who said they do not intend to vote in the next election was bigger than the number who said they will give their preference to the PN.

This is certainly a blow to the PN and, although surveys are just an indication and are not necessarily transposed to the letter into the way people will eventually vote when the real election takes place, the signs that the PN is still struggling to have a strong voice are there for all to see.

Grech is reported to be mulling his future, and this once again has weakened the PN’s position while strengthening that of Labour. The PL, with all its faults, is perceived as united behind the leader while, once again, the PN appears to be thinking of a change. This kind of instability is not helpful for a party that wants to portray itself as an alternative government.

We will know more in the months to come. We are less than one year into the legislature, and it is likely that no drastic decision will be taken before May 2024, when the European Parliament elections will be held. The outcome of that national poll will determine the way forward.

What is sure is that, if Grech eventually decides to move out (or is pushed out), the PN must not allow the internal division to widen further. The last races for the leadership left too much resentment in their wake, and another bitter fight could spell an even bigger disaster for the party.

One possibility through which such a situation could be circumvented is the emerging of a unifying figure, a leader that embraces the different factions and brings them together with one scope.  The current European President, Roberta Metsola, could be ideal in this sense, but one cannot be too sure about her intentions. Her name came up other times during the past 10 years and she has always resisted the call, while at the same time her European career flourished.

What she will do – and whether an even higher European position beckons for her – after May 2024 is anyone’s guess.

In the meantime, Grech must soldier on.