The Nationalist Party is showing its double standards, Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg has said, mentioning the PN's own "hypocritical" lack of transparency and good governance, despite its heavy criticism of the government, giving as an example the PN's refusal to publish its accounts.

Borg noted that only days after the OSCE conference hosted by Malta, with the rule of law and freedom of speech being on the top of its agenda, the PN which champions the rule of law and good governance is showing "evident double standards".

"The PN expects a different measure for itself and the government... It is the truest case of the mentality 'ours is completely good, yours is completely bad'" he said.

Borg also pointed out the PN's delay, waiting until Sunday, to give merit to all those Maltese involved in the OSCE conference.

Borg said that the government understands that the Opposition is in a difficult situation having "an official and an unofficial leader" and so, "we understand that Bernard Grech must navigate treacherous waters, and so he cannot take the same stance he takes with the government, with his own people." Borg said that as a result, despite the PN always calling on government to shoulder responsibility, Grech "sweeps issues under the carpet and won't reply to journalists", giving the example of the PN MPs who "do not value the money they take home from government jobs." He said that Grech still defends them despite their being supporters of Adrian Delia.

Borg said that he understands Grech's "discomfort" in having to attack the government whilst covering up for his own MPs but also alleged that Grech himself is not fully transparent, following questions by the Prime Minister as to how he was able to pay off "thousands" in unpaid taxes in such a short period of time. In the same vein, he noted how the PN keeps on witholding its accounts, three years down the line and said: "We expect a party that champions good governance to fulfil its legal obligation."

"It has already been 3 years, with excuses. The PN cannot keep evading the publication of its accounts. It has accountants amongst its ranks that are capable of the task so what is stopping them? What is being done with donations and who are they from? These are the same people who preach about correctness," Borg said. He said that the PN wants to be a viable alternative to the current government, and so in charge of finances and the economy, yet refuses to publish its accounts and was unable to put together a pre-budget document.

On her part, PL MP Amanda Spiteri Grech noted that despite the PN calling for protection on journalists, following the incident regarding ONE journalists that was condemned by the IGM, no apology has been issued yet. In line with freedom of speech, she said that following a protest to the Broadcasting Authority on the airing of promotional 2025 Budget footage on PBS, the same promotion was accepted on NET TV against payment.

Spiteri Grech also noted that the PN, that is "in favour of personal attacks and fake news", had issued a protest in current EU Commissioner for Malta Glenn Micallef's regard in order to "create obstacles for his appointment". She concluded in saying, "[The PN is] the party of hypocrisy, what is good for it is not good enough for everyone else."

Repubblika had filed the protest regarding Micallef, not the PN.