Updated: PN leadership election - Gonzi proud of what has been achieved

Updated 10.50 a.m. Outgoing Nationalist Party leader Lawrence Gonzi is optimistic for the future of the party he has steered for the past nine years and which today chooses a new head. “This is an important moment for the PN. It is a necessary process for a political party that understands the need for change, the need for a new approach and the need to continue to be of service to the country,” Dr Gonzi told Times of Malta. Dr Gonzi was elected leader of the PN in March 2004, beating former PN heavyweights John Dalli and Louis Galea. He became Malta’s first prime minister in the EU-era, successfully steered the introduction of the euro, and against all odds won the 2008 election, albeit with a wafer-thin majority. The final months of his tenure were riddled with backbench unrest until the Labour Party was elected to Government in a landslide victory on March 9. Dr Gonzi announced he was assuming total responsibility for the defeat and was stepping down from the party leadership. How have these nine years been for him? “I am proud of what has been achieved during my tenure of office. Malta is a successful country and hopefully it will continue to succeed in the future. I am also...