Louis Galea says it's time the PN becomes more relevant to the electorate
Former Minister and now charged with reforming the Nationalist Party, Louis Galea said that after PN leader Adrian Delia won the confidence vote, it was important that people who disagreed with him contributed to a genuine process of engagement
Louis Galea, former PN minister, now tasked with reforming the Nationalist Party, told MaltaToday that the party's aim now is to become more relevant to the electorate.
His words come just two days after PN leader Adrian Delia won a confidence vote with more than two-thirds of councillors renewing his mandate to lead the party until the next general election.
"The result is what it is: it is a clear call for him to stay on as leader. The important thing now is his outreach, his commitment to meet with people who disagree with him and for them to contribute to a genuine process of exchanging ideas," Galea said, when asked about the result.
The former minister conceded that it's still early days and that the process for common ground to be reached is expected to be longwinded and painstaking.
"It's too early to tell what to expect after the result of the confidence vote. It's not for me to say what I expect from his detractors either. I am meeting members of Parliament, one by one, and we are going through genuine engagement. It's also important not to look back. It's time to move forward," he said.
He added that the PN's legacy is to be valued not by way of nostalgia but via its potential to be a strong party that represents good values.
Call for volunteers to contribute to reform
PN's think tank, AZAD, of which Galea was appointed president last month, has issued a call for volunteers to help reform the party. The aim is to form a multidisciplinary team to help design and reform the party, Galea said.
"The point is to change the party as much as is needed to help make it relevant once again to the electorate. We're not attempting to make the PN aspire to a monolithic standard, because the PN embraces a range of diverse ideas, but to at least find as much common ground as possible," Galea said.
Galea has been given wide-ranging powers to attend any internal meeting as an observer, meet anyone from the party on his own initiative or if requested, and consult with people and groups outside the PN’s structures.
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