The front-runners and their qualities

Claudio Grech has the organisational skills to take on the party’s Secretary General’s office but will he take the bait and risk his chances to run for party leader after the 2018 election?

Claudette Buttigieg has the charm and the nerve to take the hot seat. She is already employed with the party and knows the staff very well. Blindly loyal to Simon Busuttil. However she carries some baggage as regards her business skills. She already unsuccessfully contested the post for Deputy Leader.

Marthese Portelli may be the dark horse in this race, if she decides to take on the challenge. She is well versed in legal and business issues and close to the middle-class where the PN needs to regain support. She is also seen as close to Simon Busuttil.

Jean-Pierre Debono, the current deputy Secretary General and only survivor from Lawrence Gonzi’s leadership era controls support from the grass roots but leaves doubts whether he has what it takes to lead the office of the Secretary General and bridge with others outside the party core. The fact that his wife, Kristie, is an MP may not help him in the quest for more power within the PN.

Beppe Fenech Adami is probably the obvious choice should he find the time to dedicate himself full-time to the party machine. In reality he’s already acting like a second secretary general for the party since his role of Deputy Leader for Party Affairs is brand new and mainly served to give the other deputy party leader, Mario de Marco, more room to take a step back and focus more on his legal practice than act as a deputy leader. BFA can take on the role of Secretary General while retaining that of Deputy Leader for Party Affairs.