Repubblika demands apology from PN candidate Alex Borg for 'fascist attack'

Updated at 1:33pm with Peter Agius statement 

Anti-corruption group Repubblika said it has been the target of a “fascist attack” by Nationalist Party Candidate Alex Borg.

The group was reacting to comments made by Borg on Wednesday when he strongly condemned Repubblika and the Civil Society Network. 

Borg posted a screenshot of a Civil Society Network Facebook poll, asking whether they would prefer to see the PN replaced by a new political party.

Borg said that as a PN candidate, he “completely disassociated" himself "from entities like these, whose main goal goes beyond the principles and values of our glorious party.”

“I always believed in and followed the PN’s values. I will work in favour of the PN and our leader Bernard Grech. The two entities (Repubblika dn CSN) I mentioned are irrelevant to my work in favour of our Gozo and Malta,” Borg said.

Borg told all PN activists, members and candidates to follow in his footsteps to strengthen the party.

Repubblika President Robert Aquilina said that after seeing the post, he called Borg up directly. He claims that Borg had told him that people who wanted to fight for the country’s wellbeing should not form part of an NGO and instead should join the PN.

“Those who know me, know I believe in dialogue, but sometimes even dialogue has its limits,” Aquilina said.

Aquilina said the attacks on Repubblika over the past few hours had exposed fascist sentiments and attitudes.

"There are no other words to describe them. There was no room for these kinds of attacks in a democracy. Those who carried out these attacks must apologise immediately," he insisted.

Borg's outburst comes at a time when the PN is trying to reach out to various cohorts of voters in a bid to pose a credible challenge to the Labour Party. The relationship between the PN and Repubblika has been a rocky one, especially under Adrian Delia's leadership.

The current leader, Bernard Grech, has been more open to reaching out to voters who support Repubblika's anti-corruption crusade.

Those who detract from the party's message are 'problematic' - Peter Agius 

PN spokesperson Peter Agius reacted to the altercation, saying that party members who detract from the party's message are inherently problematic.

“Anything that distracts us in our mission is helping labour continue the degradation of Malta’s name, environment and societal fabric,” Agius said.

Agius said he would continue working with Bernard Grech to unite the party in a coordinated message.