Borg Apologises for PN's Past, Then Pledges €350m Gozo Hospital

Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg opened his party's 13th district rally in Munxar church square, Gozo, on Tuesday evening with something unusual in Maltese electoral politics: an apology. "The PN spent 25 years in government and did a lot of good, but it was not perfect," Borg told the crowd, which had gathered by around 6:45pm.

" Borg, who is Gozitan himself, has made rebuilding the party's relationship with the island a central part of his pitch. Gozo was PN territory for decades before shifting to Labour in 2013. 6% of the Gozo local council vote — its first Gozo majority in seven years.

The rally's substantive core was a dense package of infrastructure pledges aimed squarely at Gozitan grievances. The centrepiece is a proposed 400-bed hospital on the site of the existing facility, which the party has costed at €350 million — a figure not independently verified — with a helipad positioned beside the emergency department. Borg also committed to expanding Mġarr Harbour and Ċirkewwa, adding a new passenger ferry and a dedicated cargo vessel, and establishing a sea cargo route from Gozo to the Grand Harbour — and eventually to the Freeport — to reduce the volume of trucks moving through Malta.

Multi-storey car parks in Victoria, Marsalforn, and Xlendi were also on the list, as was the long-promised Marsalforn breakwater. Borg was pointed in his criticism of Labour's record. "Gozo needs continuous investment, not just in the four weeks before an election," he said, citing the Mġarr Harbour upgrade, the Marsalforn breakwater, road infrastructure, and the hospital as promises undelivered across four years — only for action to appear in the final weeks before the vote.

"If elected to government, we will be with Gozitans at all times and not only before the election," he added. On public safety, he pledged to re-establish a specialised anti-drug squad in Gozo, saying the previous unit had been disbanded, though no date or circumstances were provided. Village police stations would reopen to restore a visible community presence.

He also pledged a dedicated support facility for victims of domestic violence, a new properly equipped court, and a speed camera on Triq l-Imġarr in Għajnsielem, a road he described as having a record of fatal accidents. "I put forward a vision, not schemes to buy your vote," Borg said, drawing a contrast with what he characterised as Labour's reliance on financial handouts and pre-election tax breaks.

The PN has itself been competing on tax cuts and first-time buyer incentives during the campaign. Borg closed on a collective note. "