Editing Simon Busuttil (section)

===Leader of the Nationalist Party and Leader of the Opposition===
[[File:EPP Summit; Meise, Dec. 2013 (11451086046).jpg|thumb|left|Busuttil at a December 2013 [[European People's Party|EPP]] Summit]]

Immediately after the elections, incumbent Leader [[Lawrence Gonzi]] announced that he would not be seeking re-election for the role of leader of the Nationalist Party. Busuttil was one of four candidates running for leadership along with Mario De Marco, Raymond Bugeja and Francis Zammit Dimech.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/25908/pn-leadership-the-four-candidates-20130408|author=Jurgen Balzan|title=PN leadership - The four candidates|work=Malta Today|date=9 April 2013|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref> On 4 May 2013, at the first round of voting, Busuttil obtained 50.3% of the votes while Mario De Marco obtained 38.5% and conceded the race, leaving Busuttil [[de facto]] leader elect.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/simon-busuttil-ahead.468297|title=Simon Busuttil wins first round of PN leadership election with 50%|work=Times of Malta|date=4 May 2013|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref> A further vote was taken on 8 May in order for him to officially receive 2/3 of the votes, the threshold required by the election rules.<ref>{{cite news|author=Jurgen Balzan|title=Simon Busuttil wins PN leadership contest|work=[[Malta Today]]|date=4 May 2013|url=https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/26545/99-5-of-pn-councillors-cast-vote-in-leadership-contest-20130504|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref> Simon Busuttil was confirmed Leader having exceeded 90% of the votes cast.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/26634/880-pn-councillors-vote-in-second-round-of-leadership-elections-20130508|title=[WATCH] 93% confirm Simon Busuttil as new PN leader|work=Malta Today|date=8 May 2013|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mccv.org.au/simon-busuttil-is-the-new-pn-leader/|title=Simon Busuttil is the new PN Leader|date=4 May 2013|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref> As leader of the opposition, Busuttil also announced [[Shadow Cabinet of Simon Busuttil|his Shadow Cabinet]] in May 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 May 2013 |title=Shadow Cabinet announced - major changes from former Cabinet |work=[[Times of Malta]] |url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/shadow-cabinet-announced.469714 |access-date=15 August 2022}}</ref>

Busuttil's term as Leader of the PN and of the Opposition was characterised by a his choice to champion the rule of law and the fight against corruption in Malta. He led the Opposition charge against the Labour Government led by Joseph Muscat following the revelations made by Daphne Caruana Galizia and PanamaPapers in February and April 2016 respectively. In April 2017, he published a leaked report that implicated the Chief of Staff in money laundering activities linked to Malta's golden passport scheme. The following month, in May 2017, Busuttil published yet another leaked report and presented evidence of alleged illegal transfers to the tune of €650,000 paid by [[Keith Schembri]] to the former Managing Director of The Times of Malta, Adrian Hillman.<ref>{{cite news|date=19 May 2017|title=Watch: Busuttil presents eight files of 'irrefutable evidence' against Schembri|work=Times of Malta|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/opposition-presents-evidence-against-hillman-and-schembri.648398|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref> The revelations increased pressure on the Labour Government and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and eventually led to an early election being called on 1 May 2017. In reaction, Busuttil said that people faced a stark choice between Joseph Muscat's interests and Malta's interest and appealed to voters to 'Vote for Malta'.<ref>{{cite news|title=[WATCH] Busuttil kicks off election campaign: 'Choice is between Muscat and Malta'|author=Tim Diacono|url=https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/election-2017/76764/crowds_flock_to_spinola_for_pn_mass_meeting|work=Malta Today|date=1 May 2017|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref> He claimed that the elections were a matter of trust, not just proposals.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/election-2017/76856/busuttil_election_about_more_than_proposals_its_a_matter_of_trust|author=Yannick Pace|title=Busuttil: Election about more than proposals, it's a matter of trust|work=Malta Today|date=4 May 2017|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref> He claimed that Muscat called the snap election to evade justice.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/this-election-is-not-a-competition-of-proposals-busuttil.647345|author=Sarah Carabott|title=Watch: 'This election is not a competition of proposals': Busuttil|work=Times of Malta|date=7 May 2017|accessdate=11 July 2019}}
</ref> Busuttil led the General Election campaign based on a platform of the fight against corruption and the importance of Rule of Law.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/watch-live-simon-busuttil-addresses-mass-meeting-at-zabbar.648645|author=Sarah Carabott|title=Simon Busuttil: If you voted Labour because you were hurt last election, vote Forza Nazzjonali now|work=Times of Malta|date=21 May 2017|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref>

In that election, Busuttil contested the 11th and 12th Electoral Districts in the [[2017 Maltese general election]] as the leader of the Nationalist party.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2017-05-03/local-news/Simon-Busuttil-announces-that-he-will-contest-in-11th-and-12th-Districts-6736173825|author=Julian Bonnici|title=Simon Busuttil announces that he will contest 11th and 12th Districts|work=[[The Malta Independent]]|date=3 May 2017|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref> However, on 4 June 2017, after polls on the previous day, it was clear that the [[Labour Party (Malta)|Malta Labour Party]] had won by a 55% margin.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/labour-expected-to-win-the-general-election-indications.649961|title=Labour cruises to 55% majority; Muscat says people have chosen to stay the course|work=[[Times of Malta]]|date=4 June 2017|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref> The win was historic as the [[Labour Party (Malta)|Labour party]] won the election by a record margin, and the margin was seen to be even bigger than in the [[2013 Maltese general election]]. Many reasons were attributed for the result, including the fact that the economy was experiencing record growth under [[Joseph Muscat]] while at the same time the PN gave little reason for being elected other than a good governance pledge, which even that was not considered authentic because of the corruption scandals that rocked the party back during their time in government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=[ANALYSIS] The new switchers in the 2017 elections|url=http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/78100/analysis_the_new_switchers_in_the_2017_elections|access-date=2021-01-09|website=MaltaToday.com.mt|language=en}}</ref> Busuttil conceded defeat<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tvm.com.mt/en/news/pn-leader-simon-busuttil-concedes-defeat/|title=PN Leader Simon Busuttil concedes defeat|author=Rachel Baldacchino|agency=[[Television Malta|TVM]]|date=4 June 2017|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref> and the following day announced his resignation as leader of the Nationalist Party along with the entire party administration.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/watch-live-simon-busuttil-quits-as-pn-leader.650028|title=Simon Busuttil steps down as PN leader after crushing defeat|work=Times of Malta|date=5 June 2017|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref> He met party activists on 6 June 2017 and explained that although he would be leaving, the party should "never give up" in its principled fight for the rule of law. He also announced a new and more open procedure for electing the new leader, with all party members being able to vote to elect their leader for the first time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/election-2017/77925/busuttil_tells_pn_supports_to_be_proud_new_leader_by_september#.W1UslNIzZPY|author=Jurgen Balzan|title=Busuttil tells PN supports to be proud, new leader by September|work=Malta Today|date=6 June 2017|accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref>