Alex Borg has declared victory in the Nationalist Party leadership race
Alex Borg is the Nationalist Party's new leader after a five-hour wait for the results.
Borg first made the winning announcement on Facebook, where he thanked his followers for their support in "starting this new chapter for the Nationalist Party".
Hours later, the electoral commission published results confirming the win. Borg obtained 50.1% of members' votes.
Over 17,000 Nationalist Party members made their say on who their next party leader should be. Polling stations opened at 9am in Malta and Gozo, and closed at 7pm in Malta and 5pm in Gozo. By the end of the early-voting period last week, around 40% of the 20,700 eligible members had already voted.
It was Bernard Grech's resignation in June that prompted the race. Grech had himself succeeded Delia five years ago.
After Grech stepped down, many in the party hoped that European Parliament president Roberta Metsola would contest. Choosing Brussels over Dar Ċentrali, she stayed put and decided not to run, opening the door for Delia to mount a bid to reclaim his old position.
Shortly after, Delia's protege Alex Borg announced he will also contest the race.
Despite some disagreements, the two men have pledged to work together after today's vote.
Their two debates ahead of polling day were carefully stage-managed affairs. They disagreed on Gozo's electoral fortunes and on the PN's internal structures, but otherwise focused on unity. Delia promised to transform the PN headquarters into a digital hub with AI-driven campaigning, while Borg pitched crowdfunding and a party podcast as part of his renewal agenda.