Charismatic, a strategic mind, able to influence public opinion, welcoming: these are a few of the qualities former PN MPs believe whoever takes over the post of PN leader should possess.
The Nationalist Party today will start the leadership election process after Bernard Grech resigned earlier this month.
The Malta Independent on Sunday reached out to four former PN MPs to gather their views on the qualities that the next PN leader should have. Former Secretary General Clyde Puli believes that the new leader must be courageous and capable of inspiring people. Former minister Tonio Fenech said that a leader has to have principles, arguments and a vision.
Another former minister, George Pullicino, said that the person must be open to welcoming everyone, a statement similar to the one given by former PN Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea, who said that the party needs to open its doors.
They were also asked what changes they think the PN must make to become a credible alternative government.
'Without broader reform, leadership change alone won't bring progress' - Clyde Puli
Puli, a former PN Secretary General and MP, said the "person who becomes leader of the party needs to be charismatic, courageous and capable of inspiring people. However, the unity he or she brings to the party must be centred around values and a common cause rather than on personality," he said.
"The new leader must also recognise that society has changed and understand how it changed. Any person, community or organisation holds a diverse set of values and prioritises these values differently. The value of democracy requires the employment of the art of persuasion and also the acceptance of outcomes even when convictions are deeply held. To this end the PN must be a broad church enough to include different shades of the core values and mindful of the realities of modern society." But a broad church is still based on a set of common values and some other values simply do not belong to it, he said. "PN is nationalist, democrat and liberal but definitely not woke."
The party also needs to give people certainty about its identity and what it stands for, he said. "I don't think you would be doing well if, when asked about the government's euthanasia proposal, you answer 'we are discussing it' when the statute is clear about it."
"The PN should not fear the internal discussion about values unless it wants to perpetuate an existential crisis. In the past the European dream and the struggle for democracy may have overshadowed all other debates but now people need to know how the PN interprets its values of liberty and equality and their implications on policy." He said that he believes that convergence can be achieved through a balance between the rights of individuals and a duty towards the common good.
Puli also said that changing the PN leader is only part of the solution. "Without broader reform, leadership change alone won't bring progress. Stability must stem from shared values and a common cause, while the new leader must challenge complacency and the status quo. More than an innovator, he or she should be a disruptor, introducing new methods and breaking from the traditional, ineffective ways of doing things."
Puli believes the new leader must also be empathising. "Empathy is a value which has not been seen enough from the party in the last years. The PN has been taken by this habit of philosophising from above about what is good and what is right, and in so doing giving less importance to understanding the emotions and feelings of people's lived experience. Believing that corruption is wrong does not make it politically wise to spend five years speaking mostly if not solely about it at the expense of other people's real-life struggles and bread and butter issues. It is clear that this has not achieved the desired electoral result."
The former secretary general spoke of unity, inclusion, recognition and respect. "Inclusion and recognition must start first and foremost within the party's ranks. Valuing and recognising the contribution of each and every member is within itself a sense of respect and a motivating stimulus. But there are a lot of people including tens of high-profile nationalists who have been alienated by the party. The new leader needs the courage to start with a clean sheet, as though nothing happened in the past, and invite everyone to re-unite within the party, giving everyone the opportunity to do so. He has to provide space for necessary internal dialogue, which is in itself an exercise in consensus building."
"However, he should apply a firm hand with lone rangers. Once a decision is taken all must toe the party line. A party is by its very nature a coordinated group. Unfortunately, what we have seen in the past months, if not years, was not a single voice but rather a cacophony of voices."
When it comes to the financial situation, Puli said that the new leader needs to take the bull by its horns. "The commercialisation of party property that started a few years back has to be more aggressive and the new party leader may need to be very bold in seeking new revenue streams." He said that while he was secretary general all the accounts were audited. "I can understand there might be problems, but it is not sending the right message," he said, in reference to the party not issuing its accounts.
Asked whether the PL is beatable with a new PN leader, Puli said it all depends on when the election takes place and what the party will do in the meantime. "The coming election will be a difficult election for the party. The mentioned change needs time to happen. The timeframe is not in favour of whoever will be elected to the post of PN leader," he said.
"Over the past years a number of bad things happened that still did not move the PL base, but if we are to be honest a number of good things were also done," he said, mentioning the collective agreements signed over the past months from which thousands of people are benefitting as an example. On the other hand, the damage caused to the PN over the years, "through internal fighting will need a harder effort to convince people that the PN is back as a stable alternative, that if people vote for it, they will not only continue to enjoy their current standard of living but will benefit from even better standards. That may need some time but of course nothing is impossible".
'True leaders are people who lead, and they lead because they can convince people and shape public opinion' - Tonio Fenech
Former Minister and PN MP Fenech said that it is difficult to define the exact qualities a leader needs, but he believes the person needs to be inspiring, and a leader who will influence public opinion and not be driven by it.
"More and more we are seeing politics in today's world becoming survey-driven. Politicians see what surveys say and try and mesh their positions closer to what they believe people want to hear. True leaders are people who lead, and they lead because they can convince people and shape public opinion. You need to have the principles, arguments and a vision, while being able to articulate that vision to help convince people that it is the right choice, rather than merely trying to think about how best to become popular."
"People need leadership in the world, and at the end of the day are attracted to a party and its leader if they feel that the party and its leader provide them with that vision," Fenech said.
Asked whether there is anything he believes the PN needs to change to become a viable alternative government, Fenech said that the party is facing two difficulties.
"The first is a Labour government that is intent on using the power of incumbency with every opportunity to retain and gain votes. A lot of people are drawn to the Labour Party because the Labour Government is built on friends with benefits compromising on the environment, law and order, public sector employment to ensure the retention of power as a means to an end rather than service. The culture of aggressive nepotism is very difficult to overcome."
"Secondly, the PN needs to distinguish itself. It needs to be an alternative, which means being different and not being more of the same or sounding the same on policy issues. When parties talk about policies, it seems that not much is really different, so at the end of the day if people's pockets suit them at the moment with Labour, then they will not move. So unless the PN can distinguish itself in terms of policies, to create a real alternative in people's minds of how the party wants to govern, it will be difficult to change. This is what I believe."
As for whether he thinks, with a new PN Leader, the PL would be beatable in the next election, he said that a week is a very long time in politics.
"I don't think anyone who goes in for it will do so believing that they cannot make change. So I hope that the people who come forward to contest the post do so because they believe that they can give a good fight to the government in the election. It's a huge challenge, because it is not just about the Nationalist Party, in the sense that you are not racing alone. There are some people who say that it is the PN's own fault, but that is a very simplistic analysis of what is happening in Maltese society," he said.
The party might also end up having an aspiring leader who is able to attract people, Fenech said. "We've seen many surprises in elections around the world."
"If social media is used properly today, you can reach people better than through traditional means," he adds, but notes that the PN is more focused on traditional means of communication. "It needs to go more to grassroots level, both in terms in person communication, but also through social media, which is a tool that can bring the party closer to the people. There are many things that can be done, and I don't think anyone should contest the leadership campaign already resigned to saying that it is certainly a defeat in the next election. It is a challenge, but the party needs someone up for that challenge."
Being a good person is a must, but 'it is not enough' - George Pullicino
Pullicino said that the new leader must be open to welcoming everyone and possess a strategic mind.
Being a good person is a must, he said, but "it is not enough. He/she has to have a strategic mind".
As for what the party needs to do to turn itself into a viable potential alternative government, Pullicino said that the PN needs more women in top party positions. He said that the party still looks too masculine, which he said is a disadvantage which needs to be addressed.
Pullicino also believes that the party needs to network more. "Rather than concentrating efforts to formulate policies, they need to reach out much more in order to be able to formulate the best policies. Networking is the key issue. People relate to those they trust. And people only begin to trust someone through contact, and bonding with that particular person. So the party needs to reach out as much as possible."
Asked whether he thinks the PN can beat the PL in the coming election with a new leader, he said that the election, even if two years away, is close. "Having said that a week is a long time in politics, so never say never. I wouldn't say it's utterly impossible; there is still a possibility, but the party has to change gear, especially with regards to how fast the PN is able to enlarge its network, never to exclude, but always to include people."
First thing new leader should do is stop casting people aside - Mario Galea
Former PN MP Galea said that the most important thing would be for the new PN leader to open up the party's doors wide.
Galea said that he is today completely cut off from politics, and is speaking as someone outside of it. "One of the biggest mistakes the party made in the past was to start labelling people as 'expired' so to speak. Instead of the PN opening up, today it is cut off."
"The PN imposed certain unwritten rules on itself, for example that those who are elected for the third time or more are considered now passé and cast aside. Instead of opening the party wide, it placed a skip outside the door and started throwing people into it. A party in Opposition shouldn't do that."
"The first thing the new leader should do is get rid of that skip and stop casting people aside."
He mentioned that there are some current veteran sitting MPs who he feels have been cast aside, but have vast experience to offer. "They were ministers, know how the political system works and have worked within the party."
A party in Opposition shouldn't do that, he said, urging again that the PN should open its doors wide and use everyone's talents.
"The next leader also needs to be one who takes hard decisions," he said, and not a leader who tries to be liked by everyone. "It is also important for the leader not to be led by surveys, but would have a vision and lead according to that vision."
As for what is needed to make the party a good alternative government, aside from what he has already mentioned, he highlighted that the PN has to stop being a reactionary party.
"An Opposition Party must not just react to what the government does. When it does that, it means others are setting the agenda. The PN, traditionally was always the party that set the agenda," mentioning joining the EU as an example, but even on other levels, such as on low cost airlines coming to Malta, and the ban on smoking indoors, he said.
"But lately I've seen it become a party that reacts to what the government does," he said. "Where are the ideas and minds to set the agenda?"