Rather than spending the election campaign knocking on the doors of the Nationalist Party's traditional supporters, PN MP Rebekah Borg took what she describes as a calculated risk, directing almost all of her efforts towards non-voters and floating voters instead.

The strategy, she said, was aimed at growing the party's support rather than competing with fellow candidates for the same votes - and it ultimately helped propel her to one of the Nationalist Party's strongest performers in this year's general election.

In an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, Borg reflected on the campaign that saw her become only the fifth woman in Malta's electoral history to be elected from two districts, the lessons she believes the PN must learn from the election result, and why politicians need to spend less time talking and more time listening.

Although she ultimately became only the fifth woman to be elected from two districts, Borg said she only realised she had reached that milestone after reading about it.

"I found out through The Malta Independent's article, to be honest, so I didn't know, honestly," she laughed.

"I was surprised. I'm not going to say I wasn't surprised."

While she believes she worked hard throughout the last legislature, she admitted she never expected such a strong result.

"It was a big, big achievement for me. I was in disbelief; I still am, but I am very, very happy."

She said the achievement carried even greater significance considering everything she had balanced during the past four years.

"It's not easy for a woman. It's not easy in general, but I have to say for a woman and especially considering how much I've been through the past four years personally as well; having two children, getting married, graduating from law, there was a lot going on."

A campaign built around floating voters

Unlike her first electoral campaign, Borg deliberately abandoned the traditional approach of spending the election knocking on supporters' doors.

Instead, she decided to focus almost entirely on undecided voters, non-voters and people who traditionally did not vote for the Nationalist party.

"I took a bit of a risk, in my opinion. This time it was my second time contesting, and I wanted to get elected, otherwise why would I be doing this?"

Rather than trying to compete with fellow PN candidates for the party's core vote, Borg said she wanted to expand the party's support.

"I focused completely on non-voters or floating voters."

Her campaign team maintained contact with established supporters by telephone, but she deliberately spent most of her time elsewhere.

"You have four weeks. You cannot reach everyone in those four weeks. So I made a decision. I could have suffered, because if I didn't manage to convince those people, then I probably wouldn't have gotten elected myself, but I said, if I manage to convince them, I'm not competing with votes from my colleagues, I'm trying to get more votes for the party."

While she admitted it was a gamble, she believes it ultimately paid off.

"It was completely different from the first time, where I did more of a door-to-door approach. The campaigning type was a bit different, even the way I did certain messaging, certain targeting."

Borg said the strategy was built around one central objective: convincing people who had become disillusioned with politics that not every politician is the same.

"I really tried to focus on those people who are a bit distanced from politics. I wanted to show them that not everyone is the same."

She described the campaign as one of the most rewarding experiences of her political career.

"I have fond memories of this campaign, really fond memories. People were really welcoming, which was a bit of a difference from last time. People wanted a conversation. Even if they were non-voters, even if they were Labour voters, they wanted to have a conversation with me. I had some really interesting conversations. It was overall, really pleasant and positive."

Despite entering the election believing she had improved over the previous legislature, Borg said she deliberately kept her expectations in check.

"I felt I had improved from last time, but you honestly never know."

Describing herself as someone who always keeps "her feet on the ground", she said she preferred to expect less rather than assume success.

"I would rather expect less and get more, than think I've achieved the top and then I fall flat."

Regardless of the outcome, she said her focus throughout the legislature had always been on doing the work entrusted to her.

"I always said, irrelevant of the result, I am going to work. I have been put there for four years in the last legislature, and I need to do what I need to do, which is work. And that's what I did, and I think the result was from that work."

Lessons from the election

Although the Nationalist Party increased its vote share compared to the previous election, it still fell short of returning to government.

Asked what lessons the party should draw from the result, Borg said the biggest one was that politicians must better understand what people want from the country.

"I think politics is, and will always be, about understanding what people want."

She acknowledged that no political party could ever be "everything for everyone", but said the PN had begun making progress by listening more closely to people outside its traditional support base.

"I think we started to understand more what people wanted. Did we understand enough? Maybe we have more to learn. But, we made progress."

Borg said that understanding voters goes beyond individual concerns.

"When understanding what people want, it is not on an individual level necessarily; it is to see what people want from this country. That's our job at the end of the day."

She said she believes this involves keeping in regular contact not only with committed Nationalist supporters, but also with undecided voters, Labour supporters, and those who have become detached from politics altogether.

"As much as you reach out to people, be it core people from both sides, be it floaters, non-voters, those are the people who you need to understand what is bothering them the most."

"You generally have contact with your core people, but you have to try and reach everyone to understand different opinions and priorities."

She believes that shift in approach helped the PN make inroads during the campaign.

"That's what we started doing. We started understanding, and that's how I think we've made inroads."

Borg also praised PN leader Alex Borg's approach since the election, saying the work of reconnecting with people has continued beyond the campaign.

"Not everything we do is visible. I think if he continues down that track, then we can understand what really this country wants and needs," she said.

A mother in Parliament

Looking ahead to the next five years, Borg said she hopes people will remember her not only for her work in Parliament but also for remaining true to herself.

" I was, and I remain, the same person I was when I started out. Absolutely nothing changed about me. I want to be remembered by the end of the legislature, that I am exactly the same person, and if that's not the case, I would be very disappointed."

She said she entered politics to make a difference, even if only in small ways.

"I know I can't change the world. It's not my intention, but even a little change would make me feel very proud."

Borg also said she hopes her experience encourages more women, particularly professionals and mothers, to enter politics.

"I would like more women to take the plunge from a technical perspective. I would like to be remembered for always basing my comments on technical facts."

She said she makes a conscious effort to thoroughly research every subject before speaking publicly.

"I really try to always research and get facts before I speak, even on social media."

Drawing on her previous experience in journalism, she said there is often pressure to react quickly, but accuracy should always come first.

"Sometimes it is good to speak fast and be the first, but at the same time it's good to make sure what you're saying is correct."

Borg acknowledged that balancing politics and motherhood remains one of the greatest challenges she faces.

"I'm even more proud of this record, of having had two children during a single parliamentary legislature, but it's not easy as a mother. I don't even manage to work full-time. I'm self-employed, I keep a few clients. My kids still need me as their mother."

She said that while women undoubtedly face additional challenges in politics, that should not discourage them from participating.

"It's possible with young kids. It's a lovely job that has a lot of difficult parts, but if you do it properly and it's something you want to do, then it gives a lot of satisfaction. You meet so many different people of all shapes and sizes and you learn so much."

Looking back on her first legislature, Borg said she remains grateful for the opportunity it has given her.

"I will be forever grateful I was given this experience; I grew as a person," she said.

Working together where possible

Although now responsible for scrutinising the government's planning policies from the Opposition benches, Borg said she intends to work constructively with Planning Minister Jonathan Attard where common ground exists.

She said she was "positively surprised" when the minister congratulated her during her first parliamentary speech in her new role, adding that she immediately returned the gesture.

"I said very plainly that where we can work together, let's do it. I want my party in government, and I feel that we can give only the direction we feel is the best for this country by being in government, but at the same time, we are in opposition now, and I still want the best for this country."

Borg stressed that cooperation should never come at the expense of holding the government to account.

"I am not going to compromise where I don't agree. It is very important as part of democracy that the Opposition does criticise as well, but where we can agree, let's do so. That's what people want at the end of the day."

She said Maltese politics has become increasingly polarised and that the public wants to see more collaboration on issues of national importance.

"People want us to work together. I think that's the politics most people want - that the government and Opposition work together when the best for this country is needed," Borg said.