PN no longer the party of ‘elitists’, Delia says

The Nationalist Party will not remain an “elitist” party, and it will move to the streets and “understand the problems of every part of society," PN leader Adrian Delia said today.

Delia was speaking during the PN General Council when he said that the party will not remain a party solely for “lawyers and doctors.”

“The PN must remain humble,” Delia said, apologising on behalf of the party to those who were insulted or hurted by the PN in recent years.

But Delia insisted that the PN is not trying to mimic the Labour Party.

“Those who claim that we are becoming Labour number 2 are very wrong,” he said. “Joseph Muscat thinks about his own interests, but we think about the good and the needs of the country.”

Delia said that small businesses, enterprises and self-employed workers will be at the centre of the PN’s political strategy, claiming that this sector may have been overlooked in the past.

A “culture of disrespect” against teachers and educators has been cultivated under Labour, Delia said, claiming that the PN will work to protect and reinstate respect.

Delia went on to say that the health sector will also be prioritised by the PN, as it will work further to increase free medicine and proposed that the best cure possible is brought to the country for people suffering from cancer.

The current government is deceiving people, Delia said, “but it will surely not deceive the PN.” On IVF, Delia reiterated that the the amendments to the law aim to deceive people, claiming once again that the party is in favour of life. “We are not afraid to abide by our demo-Christian principles,” he said.

PN Secretary General Clyde Puli stated that the party is in its re-building stage, claiming that the General Council will be focused around planning for the future, ensuring the party has a long-term strategy in place.

“What are the PN’s values? What do we change? What do we have to change? This general council will answer those questions,” Puli said.

Adding a sly dig at Labour, Puli said that at the end of the day, the PN will not sell out its values in an effort to be elected. “We will not throw away our values like the PL. They are trying to imitate the PN but have become a cheap imitation,” he said.

Referring to the MaltaToday survey, Puli said that results have already begun to show, claiming that the party must keep its feet on the ground.

Puli said that the PN is working hand in hand with the Academy for the Development of a Democratic Environment (AZAD, ) who will be conducting a study from which the party will base its future strategies.

Puli also claimed that youths will be at the forefront of the PN’s political strategy, with 14 members of the PN’s executive, amounting to 15%, will be made up entirely of youths under the age of 30.

“The empowerment of youths within the party will help us to pave the way for their long-term future,” he said, adding that he has already put forward the first 155 candidates for the local council elections.

Media.link Executive Chairman, Pierre Portelli, stated that the party’s media will get revamped from top to bottom.

“The party’s media must not be solely aimed at the hard-core supporters, but must look to connect with those that didn’t vote PN in the last election,” Portelli said.

According to Portelli, the new and improved media outlet will bring forward new arguments based on the ‘new way’ in politics the PN will be moving towards.