I cannot be the only Nationalist Member of Parliament who has been told point blank by a number of my constituents that the party to which I am proud to belong and will always uphold needs to spend some time in Opposition to renew itself.

The election result proves that there has been no shortage of people who have thought so, even if this is not the one and only explanation for the massive defeat suffered by the Nationalist Party.

As politicians we uphold the fundamental principle that the people are always right – that ultimately in any general election, it is the people who win. It is not open to us as politicians to fault the people for whatever choice they make from time to time, but to examine our own behaviour, method of communication and all other relevant issues to understand why on this occasion we did not achieve the result that we were hoping for.

As a member of the Nationalist Party, I intend to participate actively in that analysis. It needs to be carried out with humility, calmly and objectively. I am also of the opinion that the process should not only be carried out internally but also reach out to people who mean well even if they do not form part of the party structures but who may wish to raise issues with the party and share with us the benefit of their perspective and ‘view from the outside’ of what could have gone wrong.

On my part, I would like to re-affirm my commitment to remain always in contact with the people whom I represent in Parliament. Doing that over the next five years from the Opposition benches carries its own responsibilities and by remaining close to people I can better fulfil my duties.

Over the coming weeks, the process of renewal that the Nationalist Party needs to go through represents an opportunity that must be handled wisely. In many ways this will be a process of rebuilding a party that has always been the protagonist of change in the country.

It is the party that has always stood on the right side of history – be it in securing independence for Malta, in achieving Malta’s membership of the European Union, in giving the country economic growth, in providing pluralism in broadcasting, in safeguarding our rights and in gaining for each and every one of us a sense of pride to be Maltese – sharing the benefit of the positive reputation which we have given our country by taking the right decisions at the right time in line with the values which give us our identity.

The process of renewal needs to factor in a number of basic facts of political life:

1. Politics is no longer only a process of mass management and appeal but, as has happened in the world of economics, more than ever needs to cater for micro trends and needs;

2. Communication skills are as important as what is actually achieved in substance;

3. Keeping in touch with the people one represents is a value which cannot be abandoned even if one is busy ensuring that the bigger picture remains positive;

4. Every person is entitled to be given an explanation about why one claim or other cannot be acceded to, and clearly has a right to a fast positive response when that claim is justified.

An x-ray of Maltese society in 2013 and objectively establishing how our nation is evolving is called for. The Nationalist Party needs to always reflect and safeguard the people of Malta even as it fulfils this role from the Opposition benches.

In particular it is our duty to ensure that what the country has achieved over the past years is not lost and equally to hold the Government to task over all its promises, commitments and expectations.

The values that will always guide me as I offer to fulfil whatever political duties are expected of me have always been and remain: loyalty, honesty and looking towards the future.

I close by extending to the Nationalist Party the same principle that has always given me great courage whatever situations I had to face from time to time: today is the first day of the rest of my life – every day represents a new beginning, new challenges and opportunities.

What applies at the individual level, applies even more strongly at the party level. Let us work together as we embark together on this rebuilding exercise.