PN youth wing worried after MaltaToday survey shows party failing to attract young voters

The Nationalist Party’s youth wing, MZPN, is worried after a MaltaToday survey on Sunday showed the party being eclipsed by ADPD among young voters.

The MZPN held what could be dubbed an emergency meeting yesterday to discuss the survey result and chart a way forward.

In a Facebook post, the youth wing said it felt compelled to meet immediately after the survey laid bare the PN’s inability to attract young voters.

“We are ready to work with everyone for the good of the party. The situation is worrying and we are ready to do our part for the PN to move forward,” the MZPN said.

The MaltaToday survey showed that among those aged between 16 and 35, the PN only registered the support of 7.3%. For the first time, the PN was eclipsed within this age cohort by ADPD, which registered 8.3%, its best result. Support for the Labour Party among young voters stood at 28.3%.

However, young voters were also the most apathetic with 33.7% saying they will not vote if an election is held tomorrow.

But the PN also suffers as a result of a lack of trust in its leader, Bernard Grech. The survey showed that Grech only enjoyed the trust of 6.9% of young voters, which contrasted with political rival Robert Abela’s 34.7%.

The publication of the survey results coincided with yet another public spat between PN exponents, this time involving Grech and his predecessor Adrian Delia.

In an interview with Lovin Malta, Grech objected to his interviewer’s suggestion that things within the PN had not changed much over the past two years, citing as an example the fact that there were no MPs trying to depose him by going to the President of the Republic.

The statement, elicited Delia’s ire, who insisted that should not be the yardstick by which to measure progress. Delia lost a vote of confidence within his parliamentary group and was eventually forced to hold a fresh leadership election in which he ran against Grech.

Delia’s comment on Facebook sparked off a public spat between his supporters and others who believe in Grech, exposing a wound that keeps surfacing every now and then.

The PN has had four leaders in the span of 10 years. Lawrence Gonzi lost the 2013 election heavily and was succeeded by Simon Busuttil. The PN went on to lose the 2017 election heavily and in the first leadership race decided by party members, Adrian Delia beat off the challenge posed by Chris Said to become leader.

However, in September 2020, Delia lost to Bernard Grech in a leadership election that was forced upon the party by rebel MPs.

After the March 2022 election, which the PN lost heavily once more, Grech ran for the leadership again but was uncontested. Delia was elected on two districts.