Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg has said that Prime Minister Robert Abela is disconnected from the financial realities facing Maltese families, arguing that many workers are seeing their wages run out before the end of the month.

Speaking during an interview conducted by Thomas De Martino on NET TV programme Analiżi, Borg criticised Abela for referring to the number of people purchasing boats as a measure of Malta’s economic performance.

While Borg said he wanted people to earn enough to enjoy a comfortable life and afford luxuries, he argued that the Prime Minister’s comments showed how detached he had become from the daily concerns of ordinary families.

He questioned whether Abela was living “in the same Malta” as those struggling with the cost of living, saying that people regularly told him they were finding it difficult to make their salaries last until the end of the month.

For many young people, Borg said, the priority was not buying a first boat but being able to afford their first home. Elderly people, meanwhile, were more concerned about paying for food, medicine and other basic necessities.

The government, he warned, had begun believing its own propaganda and appeared to assume that everybody was living comfortably.

“If the Prime Minister cannot understand the real problems people are facing, how is he going to solve them?” Borg said.

Borg said the PN supported improving people’s standard of living but insisted that economic growth needed to be measured against the pressures faced by households and the country’s infrastructure.

He also referred to Malta’s traffic problems, arguing that the issue had been repeatedly raised by the government before the election but had largely disappeared from its political agenda since then.

The government, he said, had yet to explain how it intended to reduce congestion and balance economic and population growth with the impact on roads, public services and people’s quality of life.

Borg said the public needed to recognise the difference between the government’s pre-election promises and the situation that followed once the election was over.

Borg also criticised the government over controversial public works in Marsaskala and Marsalforn, where projects were reversed or removed following widespread criticism.

He described the incidents as examples of a government operating without proper planning or accountability and called for clear answers over who had authorised the works.

The PN leader said it was difficult to believe that public employees had carried out such projects without receiving instructions from anyone.

The public, he said, had a right to know who ordered the works, who approved them and who would now be responsible for the additional cost of removing or reversing them.

Borg said it was not acceptable for the Prime Minister or ministers to claim that they did not know who was responsible, particularly when the workers and public authorities involved ultimately fell under the government’s control.

He accused the administration of encouraging a culture in which everybody denied responsibility when something went wrong.

“This is a lack of serious leadership. Everybody says, ‘It wasn’t me,’ and they think every problem can simply be solved by spending more money,” he said.

The government had a duty to respect taxpayers’ money, Borg added, and should ensure that proper checks were carried out before public funds were committed to any project.

Turning to Parliament, Borg raised concerns about the number of Parliamentary Questions that remained unanswered by government ministers.

He said such questions were not merely a tool available to MPs but an important part of democratic scrutiny, allowing members of the public to obtain information about government decisions and the management of public services.

Many questions raised in Parliament, he said, originated from problems and concerns brought to MPs by residents, workers and communities.

When ministers failed to reply, Borg argued, they were not only ignoring Opposition MPs but showing disrespect towards the public whose concerns had prompted the questions.

He said the PN would continue pressing the government to provide answers, adding that citizens had a right to receive information within a reasonable period.

Borg also criticised the imbalance he said existed within the national broadcaster, accusing the government of treating public broadcasting as its own communications platform.

The public broadcaster belonged to the people, he said, but had been reduced to what he described as a government announcement board, with audiences frequently denied the opportunity to hear both sides of an issue.

He said a future PN government would ensure that the Broadcasting Authority fulfilled its obligations and that the public broadcaster provided more balanced coverage of political and national issues.

During the interview, Borg also spoke about the internal voting process to confirm him as PN leader, saying the feedback he had received from party members and supporters had been highly positive.

He said turnout had been strong and that there was considerable enthusiasm within the party, with members encouraging him to continue working at the same pace.

The leadership voting process is due to close on Wednesday, after eligible party members are given a final opportunity to cast their vote.

Asked about the way forward once the process was completed, Borg said the PN needs to continue renewing and strengthening itself in preparation for the next general election.

He described the coming years as a marathon rather than a sprint, saying the party needed to use the time available to improve its structures, strengthen policymaking and increase direct contact between MPs and the public.

The PN also needs to become more dynamic, better organised and open to anyone who wanted to contribute, he said.

“We need a party that is stronger than ever before — a strong, structured and dynamic party that welcomes everyone,” Borg said.

The interview also addressed the fundraising marathon organised to mark Borg’s birthday, which raised €154,000.

Borg said the money would be invested in upgrading NET FM’s studios and replacing outdated broadcasting equipment, some of which had been used since the station first began operating.

The studios would be modernised and rebranded, while the new equipment would help bring the station up to current broadcasting standards.

He said the investment would also create a more welcoming environment for NET FM employees and volunteers.

Work on the studios was expected to begin in the coming weeks, with Borg saying the funds would allow the party to carry out a substantial upgrade of the station’s facilities.