Choosing our leaders

Aparty that has been in government for 20 years may undoubtedly be prone to have gathered some cobwebs in the process. This mainly due to the fact that once results were being achieved one could have argued that there was no need for change. Luckily for the Nationalist Party this is not the case and last week's general council proved to be an exercise of regeneration for the party.

It is not usual to see officials leave their posts when they have just achieved an astounding victory like last March's but the people at the helm of the party's administration decided to do just that. A sane decision, indeed; a decision that shows that the party has at its heart the ideal of continuously refreshing itself, leaving the door open to anyone with new ideas and welcoming those who have something to offer to the party because, ultimately, the service they give is a service to the country.

The outgoing officials did a brilliant job in managing to secure yet another victory for the PN and one may well say that we can now sit back and relax for two or three years until we start gearing up for the next general election but this is not what we opted for. Listening to many of the speakers during the last general council I was struck by the enthusiasm there is to build on what we already have in order to create a sense of continuity and, at the same time, improve on certain aspects that may have been given secondary importance in the past.

If you take a look at the PN's history throughout the years it is clear that the party embarked on a programme of regeneration ages ago and from being a party for the elitists and the professionals we now have a party of the people. A party that even with all its shortcomings has managed to elect its members in government for the best part of these last 50 years. It is no coincidence that the PN is a member of the European Peoples Party because that is exactly what we are: we appeal to people in all strata of society and this is because we were never afraid of change, because we were always front-runners in implementing all-inclusive policies, because we are part of the change that we want. This in stark contrast with the Socialists who seem to abhor the word change let alone discussing it... forget about implementation.

This is the secret of our success. We never take anything for granted; we don't think that people should vote for us just because they come from a Nationalist background. On the contrary we want people to vote for us on the basis of the results we have achieved. In Lawrence Gonzi's words: "Look at the country we are handing back to you and decide for yourself". It is amazing how we tend to forget what we have gone through over the last 20 years; we tend to become complacent and not realise that not even two decades ago we could not even decide on what toothpaste to buy. We tend to ask for more every day and that is positive because a more demanding society means a saner one as well.

Last week's general council and the elections for the executive committee were indeed an example of renewal. To see so many young candidates contest the posts is valid proof that the communication web is indeed expanding and reaching areas that were so far considered grey. We as a party have adopted a policy of inclusivity not only on our manifestos but in practice. As in all elections, there are those who are not elected, it is the natural result of a democratic process but I agree with Dr Gonzi that these people are still very much needed within the party and we have to use their enthusiasm to reach out and convey our message to the man in the street.

A party is made up of a few leaders and a lot of followers. We as a party have always chosen the best to lead us. The track record speaks for itself. We have still some more decisions to make because we have to elect the officials. I am sure that, once again, we will choose wisely and invest in someone that knows the party, that has grown within the party and that was part of the ongoing regeneration of the party without excluding new blood.

We must not forget that we as a party of the people need to know what the people feel and need. Our officials need to portray this and be able to identify themselves with the man in the street. I have no doubt that whoever is chosen will continue building on the success of his predecessors.

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.

david.casa@europarl.europa.eu, www.davidcasa.eu