[WATCH] Michael Piccinino: ‘The Nationalist Party is in its strongest position in years’

Nationalist Party’s secretary general Michael Piccinino (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

Michael Piccinino has served as the Nationalist Party’s secretary general for almost four years, but will be stepping down to contest the general election on the the fourth district.

When he first announced his departure from the role last summer, it was Karl Gouder who rose to the occasion and expressed an interest in becoming the next secretary general. However, Gouder’s untimely death meant the process had to be put on hold.

“Karl’s passing had a profound impact on his colleagues in the party,” Piccinino tells me when I broach the subject. “He was an integral part of our team, and his passing was a great loss – not just professionally but also personally. Many of his colleagues saw him as a friend, not just a boss.”

His death prompted the party to implement internal measures to foster a stronger sense of unity and support among employees.

The Nationalist Party is one of Malta’s largest political parties, but Piccinino admits that there have been shortcomings on their part, particularly when it comes to the party’s financial situation.

He says the party’s auditor is still reviewing the outstanding accounts and although he insists the matter will be resolved in the coming months he declines to give a clear idea of when the accounts can be expected to be published.

He also says the party’s financial challenges do not reflect their ability to lead the country or manage the country’s financial matters. “It is ironic for the Prime Minister to criticise us when his own party’s media company has significant outstanding debts,” he says.

On allegations of missing national insurance contributions, an issue raised recently by former employee-turned Labour propagandist Karl Stagno Navarra, Piccinino admits there had been a problem with delayed contributions.

“In 2013, everyone was aware that the party had outstanding payments dating back several years. Since then, we have made significant efforts to address these financial issues, including ensuring that employee payments are up to date,” he says.

Piccinino feels that the Nationalist Party today is very different from what it was when he became its secretary general. As he makes way for a successor, he believes the next secretary general must continue to strengthen the organisation while ensuring that the party’s message reaches people.

The following is an excerpt of the interview.

The full interview can be also viewed on Facebook and Spotify.

Why have you decided to leave this role?

I have served as secretary general for more than three and a half years now. During this period, I have dedicated a lot of my time and energy to the role because we need a secretary general who is fully focused on leading the party forward.
Sometime before the European Parliament elections, I had a discussion with the party leader in which I expressed my desire to contest the next general election. Previously, I had been encouraged to do so, but at the time, I felt it wasn’t the right moment because I believed the party needed someone who was entirely focused on its administration.
Although the party’s statute allows a secretary general to also be an election candidate, I felt it would be better to have someone who could concentrate solely on electoral campaigns rather than also running their own campaign.
Because of this, I initiated the process to step down. As you may know, I announced my intention to resign last August. This decision was officially approved in November, and now the process to elect a new secretary general is beginning.

This past week, we had three surveys that all indicated the same thing – the Nationalist Party is not attracting enough people to secure a majority among the electorate. How do you explain this result?

I have always been consistent when it comes to surveys. When a survey shows a gap of 50,000 votes, I said the same thing – at the end of the day, the only real poll that matters is the election itself.

Surveys can show trends and public sentiment at a given moment, but ultimately, the real test is the election. In June, we saw results from three different companies showing similar figures, with vote differences in the range of 24,100 to 27,100 for the MEP elections. Everyone knows what the result was.

At the end of the day, what matters is the outcome of the general election, whenever it takes place. What is certain is that today, the Nationalist Party has the people's attention. People are listening to what the Nationalist Party is saying, which means we now have a greater responsibility to explain our solutions to the public’s problems more clearly. We need to convince more people that the change Malta needs is the Nationalist Party.

We're also seeing a phenomenon where many people who previously voted for the Labour Party and don’t want to vote for it again would rather not vote at all in the next election than vote for the Nationalist Party. Why do you think the PN is still not appealing to this category of voters?

Let’s start by acknowledging that this is, in fact, a new phenomenon – there is a group of Labour Party supporters who no longer want to vote for Labour. A few years ago, this wasn’t the case, and even now, if we look at trends, Labour still holds a strong majority.
Obviously, if someone has supported a party their whole life, they won’t just switch sides overnight. That’s not how things work. However, it’s clear that many of these people are starting to realise that Labour doesn’t have solutions for the country’s problems. This means that the PN has a duty to reach out to them, to engage more effectively, and to speak about the issues that truly impact them. We also need to involve the business sector, ensuring they support the push for change in our country.

It is evident that Roberta Metsola, enjoys much more trust than Bernard Grech – not just among Nationalist voters but also among those who do not intend to vote in the next election. As the party approaches the election, do you think Bernard Grech is an asset or a liability for the party?

Let’s stick to facts rather than opinions. The fact is that the Nationalist Party has, for quite some time, been trailing behind the Labour Party in elections. If you look at the numbers, this has been the case for over 20 years now. After each election, the leaders of the Nationalist Party have been forced to confront this reality.
Regarding trust ratings, as a fact, under Bernard Grech’s leadership, the party has improved in several areas. For example, in June of last year, surveys already showed that the party was functioning much better than in previous years. Even according to a survey by MaltaToday from last June, there have been improvements.
It cannot be that when things go wrong, it’s entirely the leader’s fault, but when things go well, it’s as if the leader had no influence at all. I think the results speak for themselves.
Now, Roberta Metsola is undoubtedly part of the Nationalist Party team. She has publicly stated that she supports the leadership of Bernard Grech. As President of the European Parliament, she has made us proud with the work she is doing.
Moving forward, Robert Abela will certainly face challenges, and Metsola will also have an important role in helping convince people to support the Nationalist Party.

Do you believe that the Nationalist Party can win the next election with Bernard Grech as its leader?

Without a doubt. I am confident that the party is currently in its strongest position in years to contest the upcoming general election. The Nationalist Party must continue moving forward, providing solutions for the challenges the country is facing, while also highlighting the shortcomings of the government. At the same time, we must continue offering our own alternative so that people can clearly see the difference between the two parties.