During an interview on Karl Bonaci’s podcast on the FLiving channel, Bernard Grech, the leader of the Nationalist Party, had the audacity to downplay his party’s relentless opposition to the Citizenship by Investment Programme and the European Court of Justice’s ruling on it. Is he seriously trying to convince us that the Nationalist Party, which has consistently tried to sabotage the programme at every turn, is not celebrating its European Court loss? Really?

Let’s break this down. The Nationalist Party has been on a mission from day one to tear down the Citizenship by Investment Programme. They’ve actively worked to undermine Malta’s interests, stirring up tensions in the European Parliament, all in an effort to discredit the programme and cause harm to the country. Now, after the European Court ruling, figures like Jason Azzopardi, Simon Busuttil, MEP David Casa, and PN MP Karol Aquilina were quick to jump on social media to gloat, claiming they were proven right. It’s absolutely clear they are celebrating this ruling, and yet, Grech has the audacity to claim the opposite.

The way Roberta Metsola made the headlines, right after the European Court of Justice’s ruling.

This is an excerpt from The Malta Indepedent.

It’s impossible to believe that the Nationalist Party isn’t pleased with the Court’s decision. This is a party that has been nothing but hostile towards any initiative that brings in revenue or benefits the country, and yet here they are trying to paint themselves as the paragons of moral righteousness. And it gets even worse when you consider the hypocrisy of it all. While they’re out there denouncing the programme, they completely ignore the millions of euros it generated for Malta: money that was used for social projects, medical equipment, and support for voluntary organisations like Puttinu Cares and Hospice Malta. But Grech and his party would rather pretend that they’ve been fighting the good fight for the people of Malta, when in fact they’ve been fighting against Malta’s best interests every step of the way.

And then there’s the internal mess within the Nationalist Party itself. MP Alex Borg, who publicly contradicted the party’s official stance by calling the programme a good scheme, shows just how divided they are. But Grech insists that the party is united.

When Bonaci pushed Grech on the issue, asking him to clarify the party’s position, Grech’s answer was nothing short of absurd. The Nationalist Party’s position, he said, is “not issued by one individual or one deputy but by the party.” In other words, don’t blame him for the party’s contradictory stances, even though he’s the one leading it. This is the kind of weak, deflecting rhetoric you expect from someone who knows they can’t defend their position.

Grech and the Nationalist Party are playing a dangerous game. They’re trying to discredit a programme that brought millions into Malta, while pretending to act in the country’s best interest. Their actions don’t line up with their words, and the hypocrisy is blatant.