The Nationalist Party has begun the process of electing a new leader. Whoever is chosen to take on this role must perform two key tasks simultaneously: restore stability to the PN and earn the trust of the electorate. The first hundred days of an elected leader, often called the honeymoon period, usually set the tone for the style and thrust of the leadership. During this grace period, the new leader receives some breathing space from the media and critics. Whoever is elected PN leader in the coming weeks or months will not enjoy such a honeymoon period. Upon assuming office, he or she must immediately embark on a programme of reforms. They say that unsolicited advice is never welcome. At the risk of being unwelcome, I am going to propose some lines of action for the new leadership. Firstly, the PN must re-establish control over the party’s and the national agenda as was the case before EU membership. We controlled the agenda not because we were part of some pseudo-establishment, as Labour wants the electorate to believe, but because we convinced the electorate about our vision, our plan and our credentials to carry out that plan. We are now perceived as followers rather than leaders, and this perception needs to change. How do we change it? By being bold. The new PN leader should demonstrate resolve from day one. He should, in my opinion, relocate the PN leadership and its HQ from the Pietà building to the AŻAD building in Valletta and privatise NET TV, keeping only limited airtime for political programmes. The party should also reorganise its grassroots network, basing the new structure on technology rather than traditional każini. These actions would send a clear message that the PN is not afraid of change, will address its financial issues directly, and is committed to becoming a people’s party once again. Empty palaces make hollow sounds. We cannot build a party for the future around a nostalgia for the past. Times have changed. Realities have changed. And change we must if we want to even exist. At the same time, the PN should publish a policy paper on party financing to eliminate any perceived or real dependencies between donors and political parties. This policy paper should also advocate for full-time parliamentarians to remove undesirable or perceived links between members of parliament, lobbyists and donors. Part of the savings from privatising NET TV should be invested in modern outreach technology with both pull and push features – ensuring that information and ideas flow efficiently and effectively in and out of the party. The electorate wants a government that can maintain the positive economic performance and well-being. For the past years, economic performance and well-being moved hand in hand. This is no longer the case as the Labour administration is finding it increasingly difficult to convince the electorate that the quality of life in Malta is improving.