Ivan J. Bartolo is the man who can save the PN | Michael Mercieca

Michael Mercieca is an ex-PN member who represented the party at local council level and was a general election and European election candidate

Let me be clear from the outset—I am not writing these comments because Ivan asked me to or as some sort of marketing for him. I have not spoken to Ivan since the 1980s, way back at school. I am not even sure if Ivan would agree to my writing and comments below, but, as an ex-PN stalwart at all levels for over 30 years I feel duty bound to air my views.

The party has been going astray for many years now. Many names have had a go at the leadership without anyone being able to generate success. The result, year after year, has been a haemorrhage of followers. I believe those remaining in the party should first try and establish what the party has been doing so wrong. I believe wrongdoing has happened on various fronts and yet we are now discussing the leadership again. So, I believe, the party should first find the answer to two simple questions. What are the recurring difficulties in the party that are making it so mistrusted? What is the common denominator in our past leaders that has made them all unsuccessful?

It is evident that the party message is not arriving to the public, or the wrong message is being delivered. But there is also the terrible financial state of the party. Why have the various chosen ones over the past years failed to improve any of these two issues? Is it because there is no solution to these problems? I do not think so. I think the underlying problem has been because the chosen men were simply not the right people. I believe the party has been choosing people based on the popularity of the individual within the party. Popularity does not give you leadership skills.

The party has been choosing men who have been breathing Nationalist Party politics all their lives. And, believe me, when you are born and bred inside a party you can never see things in their right perspective. Without wanting, one ends up being surrounded by people who think the same; one starts believing that what they are hearing from the few is reality. Only when you are out of politics do you realise there is a great difference. So, I believe, the first quality the new leader should have is not popularity but to be someone who has not lived politics all this life. Ivan is such a man. I was really surprised when I had seen Ivan on a ballot paper a few years ago as I had never seen him politically active when we were young.

Secondly, the new leader must have super great managerial skills. Somebody with a proven track record of managing people and businesses from nothing to the top tier levels. I invite everyone to have a look at Ivan’s wonderful entrepreneurial skills. He has built a great company himself over the past 35 years which is not only a success in itself but the raison d’etre of Ivan’s company is “training, mentoring and business transformation consultancy”. Isn’t this what the party needs right now? Isn’t a complete transformation, what the party needs now? Isn’t it great managerial skills that the company needs? Does the party need another leader who spends his time attacking the other side, or somebody focused on strengthening the party? Does the party need another boss or a real leader? This is an aspect that the party needs to analyse—the difference between a boss and a leader.

Our past leaders have been wasting years portraying themselves and the party as the opposition to everything and everyone, giving the feeling that the leader knows it all and only what he says is good. That is wrong. The party needs a real leader who knows how to appreciate the good in others; even the good of the opponents and encourages all to move along together. A leader who generates enthusiasm not inspires fear and hatred. A leader who admits that they also can be mistaken sometimes—like when Ivan apologised to Adrian Delia. A person who does not put all blame on others for anything deemed wrong but pulls up their sleeves and fixes whatever is wrong.

People are fed up hearing the party criticising everything. People are fed up hearing the party leader state that he has the solutions and then the party comes up with only half-baked vague solutions. People want leadership not icons. This is why I believe the party needs a leader who can take the party to new levels. A leader who is relatively new to politics and the party. A born natural entrepreneur, who can understand the business aspect of the party. A leader who knows how to involve everyone and appreciates the fact that we all have something good to offer.

Above all, a leader who can generate positivity and enthusiasm again. A leader who can think outside the box and be creative. Someone who can imagine and create something as great as when we achieved Independence and EU membership. A leader who can create a new milestone in the evolution of Malta. I believe, Ivan is such a man.