May began with a series of shocks and disappointments for the Nationalist Party and those who identify with it. In Malta's tribal politics you are born on one side and generally you keep to that side throughout your life.
On 1 May a very large crowd of optimistic supporters gathered at Lija. They knew that the Labour crowd in Valletta would be bigger but what they did not expect was that the party's media that is kept alive through their donations would disregard at that point what was taking place in Lija. People and supporters expected a direct broadcast not just something on the evening news.
Next came the news that most of the party's dinosaurs, former ministers who took Malta to the EU, were leaving ship before the election. They chose to leave at the worst time.
To all of them I ask: how can you justify this sudden crisis of conscience at such a crucial time? Whatever good you might have done in the past you have now obliterated by this sudden case of cold feet.
I am writing today less than a full month before the election. As it stands today, PN is sure to lose. The surveys all say so, increasing the margin all the time, by 28,000 votes, Marmara with his mountain of government contracts says. The resignations point that way. And the reasons I am listing today all say the same thing.
But even now the situation is not writ in stone. Theoretically it can still be reversed, though it's very, very hard and it's late.
To start with PN must make a clean sweep. Now that the former ministers have jumped ship it must also do away with its top level as a party, its incompetent radio and television staffs, its managers. The first week of the campaign was characterised by technical problems of all sorts, a sign of things not properly assembled.
The young leader has tried his best but he is inexperienced and ineffectual. He has deeply disappointed the party rank and file, not least with his prioritising Gozo above everything. Whatever the result I expect him to disappear within a few hours of the polls closing.
Such is the paranoia around the party that you still get serious supporters telling you this is all being done by supporters of Adrian Delia gambling he'll be back on top once Alex Borg calls it a day.
I have explained many times why I think Delia is not suited to be head of the party and I am still of that opinion.
The party or what's left of it must first go in for a period of introspection to find out why so many of its past voters have left it, why so many people hate it and especially its diehards.
It must consider changing its name. And it must swing back to the Right, as its whole history teaches us until they started experimenting with the Left.
Beyond this the Maltese people awaits from the PN a clear signal in defence of the Maltese identity - far better control of the borders, a strong police and army, immediate removal of those who do not have a job, and, my idea, all enterprises in Malta over time must have a majority of Maltese workers.
Giving TCNs residence rights let alone citizenship must be regularised better. This is not racism but eminent commonsense and the defence of what constitutes being Maltese.
On the other hand those who deserve Maltese citizenship must work hard for it but if they deserve it, they should get it.
The party must bring back those like Jason Azzopardi who were banned by previous leaders. Malta owes a huge debt to Azzopardi, as it owes to Daphne Caruana Galizia.
It doesn't matter if this party loses this election. Under Labour people did well for themselves and while PN delivered on the broad scale of things, on the macro level, and Malta now forms part of the EU and of the Euro area, people still remember high fuel and electricity bills. And arrogant ministers and underlings.
There will still be other elections as Labour runs out of steam.
PN or what comes after it must commit itself to reverse the bad decisions by Labour - the debt mountain that requires Malta to keep taking in migrants without control; bring back fairness to government sourcing of anything and banning direct orders; beat Labour on whatever it is promising to the lowest levels, including and especially the elderly, the new poor; stop all the prestige plans like the metro; take up the idea of two hospitals instead of Fort Campbell and Selmun Palace; restore and reuse St Luke's; go for Alex Borg's commitment on purchasing a new fleet for Gozo Channel and a new Gozo Hospital; straighten up the administration of justice including the judiciary with the immediate appointment of a Chief Justice; clean up the country from being one big building site and make developers pay for the mess; stop the country from being one big rat race with so many scandalous promotions handed out on the eve of elections.
And do all this with no spirit of vengeance. But above everything this new party on the Centre-Right must stop trying to ape PL as it has been doing most of the years it has found itself in the Opposition. It must offer a clear break.
It must offer Malta a new chance to stand proud in Europe and in its own eyes. For under both Muscat and Abela Malta has been hiding in corners with only Roberta Metsola to salvage our honour.
It must offer Malta a complete departure from today's tawdry reality where you, as Lawrence Gonzi once said, feel ashamed to admit you're from Malta. A country that stands four-square with the West, with America and the EU with no equivocation.
As I keep saying rebuild the Royal Opera House exactly as it was.
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