The Nationalist Party has been on the right side of history whenever the country had to make the most difficult and challenging of choices and is rebuilding itself to be on the right side of the future.

Addressing the traditional Independence Day mass meeting on the Granaries, in Floriana yesterday, PN leader Simon Busuttil set the party’s vision for the coming years while lauding the achievements it made over the past 50 years.

In a speech during which he never referred directly to either the government or the Labour Party, Dr Busuttil said it was the PN, through its various leaders, that fought for the biggest achievements of the country including independence from the British half a century ago and membership of the EU in 2004.

A courageous PN had the right vision for the future and had turned the country’s challenges into opportunities.

“Fifty years ago there were many who doubted whether Malta could make it alone without the British. But the determination of Prime Minster George Borg Olivier to push forward despite the scepticism resulted in 50 years of progress and opportunities for the Maltese,” Dr Busuttil said.

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil speaking at the Granaries last night.

The seeds sown by Dr Borg Olivier in 1964 flourished and were the key for Malta’s future.

“The same happened when we wanted to join the EU. Despite the obstacles and the doom and gloom, the PN pushed ahead once again and Malta opened another important chapter in its history.” He said the fact that, today, everybody in the country, including those who had opposed independence and EU membership, recognised that the PN was right was the biggest political victory the party could ever have.

Looking to the future, Dr Busuttil said that although in Opposition, the PN was rebuilding itself to ensure it would be the party that was most relevant for the country in the coming years.

His vision was for the PN to remain a party of sound values and principles and not one based on populism.

“The PN has to be the party which offers the right opportunities to everyone and that ensures the common good can be enjoyed by all,” he said.

Dr Busuttil stressed the need for the party and its politicians to remain humble and close to the people. “We want to be a party of optimism with policies based on the truth,” he said.