As the Nationalist Party faces its biggest leadership crisis in years, Metsola’s silence is being seen as betrayal by the very voters who once saw her as their political hope.
Less than a year ago, Roberta Metsola stood on PN platforms across Malta with confident words and a loyal smile, declaring her unwavering commitment to the Nationalist cause. She was hailed as the party’s brightest star – its future. Her campaign for the European Parliament was built on the back of Nationalist support, and the results spoke for themselves: tens of thousands of PN voters placed their trust in her once again.
And yet, when the PN now finds itself leaderless and disoriented following the resignation of Bernard Grech, Metsola is nowhere to be found.
In a recent interview with Politico, Metsola referred vaguely to her “responsibilities in Brussels.” Though she stopped short of giving a definitive answer, her message was clear enough: she will not be contesting the PN leadership race.
To Nationalist supporters, this is not just disappointing, it is a betrayal.
The party that championed her rise to President of the European Parliament is now being left out in the cold. Her calculated silence and ambiguous remarks are seen as a convenient escape from political responsibility at a time when true leadership is needed most.
When PN insiders reached out for clarity—hoping she might return to unite the fractured party, Metsola’s answer was neither here nor there. Instead of standing by the party in its hour of need, she has chosen the comfort of high office in Brussels over the difficult task of rebuilding the party that once gave her everything.
Let’s call it what it is: political abandonment.
Metsola is not a neutral observer. She owes her political career to the PN and its supporters. To now walk away and cite institutional obligations abroad, after using the party’s platform to cement her European image, is a slap in the face to those who believed she was one of them.
This is not about whether Roberta Metsola is fit to lead—most would agree she is. This is about loyalty, honesty, and whether PN voters have been taken for a ride. Her apparent decision to prioritise her own political path over the future of the party is seen as nothing less than opportunistic.
Many in the PN hoped she would be the one to bridge divides, inspire change, and reset the party’s course. Instead, they’ve been met with silence and diplomatic platitudes.
Roberta Metsola had a choice: lead the Nationalist Party when it needed her most, or stay in Brussels and preserve her European credentials. She chose the latter.
And that choice will not be forgotten.
