Opposition and Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg has pledged to continue rebuilding the PN following the recent general election, insisting that despite the defeat, the party has emerged with renewed energy, increased support and a stronger connection with younger voters.

Speaking in an interview with Thomas De Martino on party media, Borg described the election result as “not the one we worked for”, while emphasising that the PN had nonetheless made significant gains across the country.

He began the interview by paying tribute to Josephine Xuereb, a former party candidate whose death was announced earlier that morning.

“I remember her as someone who loved helping others and who cared deeply for people most in need,” Borg said. “She will leave a big void in our communities.”

Turning to the election, Borg said the weeks following the vote had been a period of reflection for the party.

“These are moments where we need to learn from what happened, look at the positives and identify where we can improve so that the same mistakes are not repeated,” he said. “Once another election comes, we will be more prepared.”

Although acknowledging that the PN failed to achieve its ultimate goal of winning the election, Borg pointed to what he described as encouraging trends during the campaign. He said the party had registered an increase in votes across every district, particularly in Gozo, where the PN achieved a historic result.

“For the first time in history, the Opposition party won Gozo,” Borg said, adding that the PN recorded an increase of around 13,000 votes compared to the 2022 general election.

He also highlighted growing support among younger voters and teenagers, describing it as one of the campaign’s most positive developments.

“These young people are our future, and they are seeing something in us,” he said.

According to Borg, the days immediately after the result saw an unexpected wave of support from party activists and volunteers. Rather than losing momentum, he said many supporters contacted him expressing their desire to continue contributing to the PN.

“People began reaching out to help the party and continue this journey,” he said. “That shows people still believe in us regardless of the result.”

He revealed that more than 1,000 volunteers worked on the campaign and that the party received a similar number of pieces of feedback from supporters and the public.

Borg confirmed that he will seek to continue serving as PN leader after officially submitting his nomination to contest the leadership role again. He urged party members and councillors to maintain the current direction and continue building on the work carried out over recent months.

“This is only the beginning, not the end,” he said. “In the coming months we will continue renewing the party’s structures and strengthening our link with the people.”

Asked about criticism surrounding his decision to retain his Gozo parliamentary seat while ceding the 12th district seat, Borg defended the move and insisted no part of the party’s statute had been breached.

“It was not as the other side tried to portray it,” he said. “I had peace of mind knowing I had the discretion to choose which district to keep.”

Borg said he chose to retain the Gozo district because of the record support he received there, surpassing 12,000 votes. He pledged to continue investing heavily in the district and strengthening the PN’s position on the island.

On the formation of the parliamentary group, Borg confirmed that work has already begun on drafting the PN’s shadow cabinet. However, he said the process cannot be finalised until the conclusion of the casual elections.

“Once those are completed, at most by the following day, we will confirm the PN’s shadow cabinet,” he said.

Reflecting on lessons learned from the campaign, Borg said the party needs to become more organised and efficient moving forward.

“Everyone needs to know their role and work in a more synchronised way,” he said. “We also need more deputies and candidates who are closer to the people throughout the entire legislature.”

Concluding the interview, Borg thanked party workers, volunteers and MediaLink staff for their efforts throughout the campaign.

“This was not a one-man job, but a group effort,” he said. “I want to show my appreciation to everyone who helped, no matter how much work they did.”