The General Council of the Nationalist Party is meeting this morning at a time when the party is going through arguably the most difficult period in 15 years. Speakers in the first part of this morning's session underlined the need for reform while urging the party to hold on to its values.

The first delegate to speak today was Kevin Plumpton. He said the PN needed to continue giving importance to young people and be more effective in policies such as the environment, sustainable economy, family and jobs. Renewal should serve to reinforce what the PN and its members believed in and what united them - and they should avoid labels such as liberals or conservatives. The PN, he said, was the only party which had Man at the heart of its policies . The only label its members should accept was Diversity of Ideas to bring out the best for Malta.

Pierre Portelli underlined the government's success in job creation. Without jobs one could wave goodbye to civil rights, decorated roundabouts, education, major projects and transport reform, he said. In Malta, people were ignoring the turmoil all around Malta and they had peace of mind in as far as jobs were concerned. The PN had emerged from a major test where it showed its openness. This was in contrast to the Labour Party where many people were pushed out. One of them (Marie Louise Coleiro) had said she was threatened and would not contest the election. Another, Adrian Vassallo, was not even talking to his colleagues. Mr Portelli said the people who disagreed with the official line within the PN should continue to speak out. The Prime Minister had held a referendum and the way how he and others should now vote should not be imposed, as long as his promise to respect the will of the majority was respected. The party would recover and be the biggest grouping of diverse ideas in the next two years, but everyone should remember that job creation was the most important thing, he said.

BEPPE FENECH ADAMI - MISTAKE TO 'SELL' BELIEFS FOR SHORT-TERM GAIN

Beppe Fenech Adami said the PN should and could win the next election if it remained loyal to what made it Nationalist - the principles and values which had always shaped it. The PN had to remain synonymous with job creation, the party of the workers. He saluted Air Malta workers and urged them to believe that the government would take the best decisions in their interest, the airline and the country. The party had to be loyal to the values of solidarity and social justice, free and efficient medical care, education for all, tolerance, and openness to everyone's ideas. However, while being open to everyone, the PN should not be the party of everything. It should follow its ideals, values and beliefs and it would be a mistake to sell its beliefs for short term popularity. It would be wrong to shed beliefs and ideals and thus make it unrecognisable. The people chose the PN because they knew it and trusted it. Difficult times lay ahead but he was confident that Dr Gonzi would continue to enjoy the confidence of the party into the next election.

DAVID CASA - PN MUST OPEN ITS DOORS TO EVERYONE

MEP David Casa said the basic beliefs needed to be updated but certainly not dumped. The party needed to be open for everyone. A difficult general election was ahead, and the winner would assume the presidency of the EU. The Maltese should be proud of what this government was achieving despite the turmoil. The party should be careful not to allow people in the civil service to harm the party (applause). The civil service was there to serve everyone.

Mr Casa said the PN needed to be updated and taken closer to the people, while strengthening its principles.

KARL GOUDER - PARTY AT A CROSSROADS

Nationalist MP Karl Gouder said the PN had been on the right side of history when it took Malta into the EU seven years ago and opened the door to a modern lifestyle and a European mentality. But the country's values remained there, including tolerance, solidarity, freedom and truth. Those were also the values of the PN. The time had come, seven years on, to reflect on whether the achievements of the past seven years particularly with regard to values. Society was evolving. The PN had brought about this change, but was the PN itself changing? Did it have a European mentality? To have a diversity of ideas was beneficial. He was for divorce, the PN was against, but he felt comfortable in the PN. The PN needed to decide where to take the country in the next seven years without ignoring respect, solidarity, tolerance, freedom and other values which were the party's bearings.

JEAN-PIERRE FARRUGIA -NEED FOR FRESH FACES

Nationalist MP Jean-Pierre Farrugia referred to a book on Konrad Adenaur which refered to the crisis confidence between party an the citizens, caused because parties had extended themselves into areas where the citizens were free to decide for themselves.

The PN, he said, needed to remain Christian Democratic. The recession, he said, had distracted attention from those who had fallen back.

Dr Farrugia praised Dr Gonzi for his success in the economic sector, but said that the GonziPN slogan meant that he ended up alone to shoulder responsibility for the insensibility of the ministerial pay rises. He was also blamed for the utility prices, even though they were the sort of carbon taxes which Joseph Muscat had spoken favourably about. Dr Farrugia said it was a mistake for the party to think it could shape public opinion through the media and not work in parliament. MPs needed be be more assiduous in their work in parliament, and the rank and file needed explanations of their work. There was also need for a network of participation in the PN. New personnel recruitment was essential for the PN.

PROF JOE FRIGGIERI - QUESTION WHAT HAS BEEN TAKEN FOR GRANTED

Prof Joe Friggieri, guest speaker at the meeting, said the PN had opened the windows for change, and divorce was one such wind which had blown through. One could not stop the process of change. One should be tolerant and review policies, where necessary. In all affairs, it was a healthy thing to hang a question mark on all matters which had long been taken for granted. Attitudes changed, not always to the worse. Some prejudices remained strong in Malta.

Malta needed to be tolerant. Freedom too was a value, and democracy demanded that the will of the people, expressed in a referendum, should be respected. Values should not be used as a screen to hide the change which was under way, because of the progress made in the economy, education tourism and other sectors, not least after EU membership.

The divorce debate was the beginning of public debate on issues of a similar nature. One would be mistaken to think that this discussion would not take place, or that one could stop it, but one should prepare for it, Prof Friggieri said.

TONIO FENECH – PL WILL BRING COUNTRY TO ITS KNEES

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech underlined the gravity of the situation which countries such as Greece found themselves, and their implications for Malta. He had watched Joseph Muscat on Xarabank, Mr Fenech said. The Labour leader had promised everything to everyone and his actions, if he was prime minister, would be to reduce Malta to the state Greece was in. Malta would be brought to its knees. That Malta was not on its knees was only thanks to Lawrence Gonzi, Mr Fenech said.

MARIO DE MARCO – UPDATE POLICY ON DIVORCE

Parliamentary Seretary Mario de Marco said this was a time to reflect on what it meant to be a Nationalist. This was the party which led the country to independence and EU membership. It brought about progress and freedom. Society had changed. Some said values had also changed. Now the party was at a crossroad and the risk was that the party would take one road and the people another.

Change was not brought about by dumping Christian Democratic values but strengthening them in the context of current realities. There were new challenges for individuals, families and the country and they needed to be recognised and policies adopted for them as otherwise this oldest Christian Democratic party woud become antiquated. Idealism was good but real politik was what counted.

The party needed to allow space for conservatives and liberals The PN was never conservative and both elements gave the party balance and it built on the good of both. On the issue of divorce, common ground had not been found, but now there was common ground on the family. Family policy became more relevant now because of divorce. The party could not ignore the reality post divorce referendum, but needed to adapt itself to it.

The party, therefore, needed to update its position on divorce as a result of the referendum. The PN needed to reconcile with everyone and extend its hand of friendship .

The PL was making itself out to be liberal, but where was it when the PN liberalised the economy, education, health, education, EU membership and even divorce, where the PL did not take a position?

SIMON BUSUTTIL – WE WILL PLAY TO WIN

MEP Simon Busuttil said the PN should respect the will of the people on divorce 'immediately'. He stressed that both those in favour and against divorce were loyal to the party.

Nationalists should not surrender or be discouraged. They had a responsibility not to let the country slide to the Labour Party which had no solutions and, indeed, not even ideas, to tackle the country's issued. The PL was wrong in thinking the net election would be a walkover. The PN would play, and as long as it remained united, it would play to win.

GEORGE PULLICINO - PN MUST REFLECT ALL OF SOCIETY

Minister George Pullicino called for new, respected candidates within the PN ranks. Quoting Aldo Moro, he said the party needed to reflect social realities and represent society in its totality. The PN needed to be the party of all the nation while putting Man at the heart of its policies. 

FRANCIS ZAMMIT DIMECH - NEED TO LOOK AHEAD

Francis Zammit Dimech said the PN had a duty to respect and carry out the divorce decision, but it would be absurd to bury the voice of those who disagreed with divorce. That would be intolerant (applause). The PN needed no lessons on being liberal, as its various liberalisation reforms showed, with the PL being absent.

The PN needed to continue to integrate all opinions. All should work as a team. Loyalty was a value shown att all times, and not only in good times (applause) Everyone had a duty to work for a victory for the PnN and for Malta at the next general election (more applause).