Former Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi ruled out a return to politics, telling Times of Malta that his “political chapter is closed”.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Times Talk podcast, Azzopardi brushed aside the suggestion that he could throw his hat in the ring in a future election, despite his “good rapport” with leading PN figures.

When asked whether he excludes the prospect of running in an election in the future, he replied “yes, I exclude it”.

“I don’t have a party, I’m not a member of a party. I’m free and don’t have political aspirations,” Azzopardi said.

Azzopardi was a PN MP for almost a quarter of a century, first winning a seat in 1998 at the age of 27.

He made it to cabinet a decade later, first as a parliamentary secretary for lands and later serving as minister for competition and small business.

Azzopardi quit the PN in acrimonious circumstances after the 2022 general election in which he lost his seat, winning just over 2,000 first count votes across two districts.

Azzopardi was speaking during a debate with Labour stalwart Jason Micallef.

Micallef, on his part, also ruled out a run for a seat in parliament, saying that he “has no interest” in standing as a candidate.

Micallef unsuccessfully ran for a seat over a decade ago, winning just under 600 votes from a single district in the 2013 general elections.

But his name is unlikely to appear on a ballot sheet again, with Micallef saying that “a general election definitely doesn’t apply for me”.

“I don’t like how general elections in Malta are run,” Micallef said, explaining that he “believes in constituencies along the British style”.

“Unfortunately, elections in Malta force many candidates to try to be liked by everyone,” Micallef said. “Good luck to them but it’s not my thing,” he added with a grin.

“I want to work towards things I believe in out of principle. I wouldn’t want to have to bend over backwards and do things I don’t believe in for the sake of a vote,” he said.

Subscribe to the Times Talk podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.