Last Sunday, I submitted my nomination for the election of deputy leader of the Nationalist Party following the vacancy created by the resignation of Tonio Borg who has been nominated for the post of member of the European Commission.

The PN has the providential opportunity to go through renewal before the election rather than after it- Simon Busuttil

I have decided to submit my nomination because I would like to contribute to the change that the PN can bring about in the country and I would like to contribute to the renewal of the party itself. Let me spell out what I mean by each of these two points.

First of all, my intention is to contribute to the change that the party can bring about in the country. There is no question that the PN has been a leading actor in the changes that were brought about in the country, especially since Independence: democracy, political and economic freedom. You name it.

Following membership of the European Union, just eight years ago, the country went through a silent revolution that has changed the face of our economy and of our country with profound effects on various sectors from all walks of life.

And as the PN pushed for change, it often found stiff resistance from Labour.

On one issue after another, from the building of a new power station to economic liberalisation right down to the accession to the EU, Labour opposed change systematically, often vehemently, every step of the way.

Little wonder that its calls for change and for new beginnings have always rung hollow.

Labour lacks credibility when it speaks of change because it always resisted it.

So I am convinced that the PN remains the best instrument for change, a real change and a change for the better for both Malta and Gozo.

While few doubt that the PN has broadly the right policies, the process of change does not stop here. It must go on.

This is why the time has now come for the PN to position itself for the future. It must demonstrate that it can build on its achievements by providing a clear vision for the future.

Furthermore, the PN must also give hope for the future because the future beckons.

And the future affects each and everyone of us. It’s about your daily life and that of your children and your family.

It’s all about your future.

People are much likely to trust a party with which they know where they stand rather than one they do not.

This would clearly distinguish the PN from Labour which, with an election just round the corner, is still short on substance and void of any vision.

Labour’s vision is limited to a vague promise of reducing water and electricity bills and, even then, it is short on specifics. It does not tell us how, when and by how much. Nor does it tell us who will foot the bill.

And it is also the wrong policy, as Michael Briguglio so eloquently pointed out last Friday on TVM’s Xarabank.

The second reason why I have presented my nomination is because I would like to contribute to the renewal of the party itself.

Political experience teaches us that having the right policies might not always be enough to win an election.

It is in human nature that the electorate often prefers to see experience mix with fresh blood and for the country’s administration to benefit from new faces and new ideas.

This is why political parties often renew themselves after they lose an election in order to regroup and reorganise with a fresh team, fresh ideas and, why not, a different style.

Yet, the PN suddenly has the providential opportunity to go through this renewal before the election rather than after it.

The vacancy in the post of deputy leader opens up just such an opportunity. As does the selection of new PN candidates, which is gathering pace with an exciting mix of youth and experience that brings forth new talent to the party ranks.

This process enables the PN to present itself as the party with trusted policies delivered by a new team that mixes novelty with experience. To be sure, it is not at all certain that this opportunity would be enough to help the party bridge the wide gap in opinion polls. But what is clear is that to continue to pursue change, the PN needs to win the next election and to win this election it needs all the help it can get.

Now, more than ever.

This is why I want to offer my help. Now, before it is too late. And I appeal to all those who can help to step forward and to stand up to be counted.

I am standing up to be counted and I want to work side by side with party leader Lawrence Gonzi in delivering change: the change for the better that you need for your future.

simon.busuttil@europarl.europa.eu

Simon Busuttil is a Nationalist MEP.