Joseph Muscat does not exclude running for the upcoming European elections in June, sparking speculation about a possible political comeback for the former prime minister.
Speaking to Malta Today on Friday, Muscat said he could not exclude running for the election but insisted this was not something that can be decided quickly and not a decision that can be taken lightly.
Muscat was approached for comment following speculation on social media on Thursday fuelled by a post by Labour pundit Manwel Cuschieri who asked his followers whether they wanted to see Muscat’s return to the local political scene by running for the MEP election.
PN MEP candidate Peter Agius immediately reacted, asking whether someone who was facing allegations of corruption ought to be trusted.
PN MEP David Casa also reacted, telling Muscat that “No election will free you from justice.”
Muscat said he was surprised by Cuschieri’s post and admitted that the reactions and feedback he received drained his mobile battery.
“This is not a decision that is to be taken quickly because of a few Facebook messages,” Muscat said, adding that his focus was not on contesting the MEP election but “on other things”.
However, when asked directly whether he ruled it out, Muscat said he could not rule out anything in life.
"I cannot exclude that I will die tonight and neither can I exclude that I will live for another 100 years," he said.
"I cannot say what will happen. It was not on my priority list because nowadays I have my own private practice but on the other hand, I cannot ignore the people. My friend Manwel Cuschieri put spokes in my wheel, in a friendly way obviously."
Nonetheless, Muscat said he could not ignore people’s comments.
Asked whether he had spoken to anyone from the party’s administration, Muscat replied in the affirmative, adding that he was in regular contact with people within the Labour Party and that this contact was not something new.
He is currently awaiting the outcome of an ongoing magisterial inquiry into the “fraudulent” hospital deal and whether it will recommend criminal action against Muscat.
The inquiry is looking into whether a consultancy contract that netted Muscat €60,000 could have been used as a vehicle to disguise payments from the hospitals’ deal. Muscat denies all wrongdoing.
When asked if a possible candidature might spell trouble for the PL, Muscat replied: “I do not want to be a problem for the Labour Party.”
He added he would take this into consideration when, and if, he considered running for the election.
“I have been considering these things during the past 24 hours because of the panic that I wasn’t expecting,” he said.
Reacting to this, Casa said Muscat was threatening with making a political comeback because he wanted Prime Minister Robert Abela to protect him.
His comments followed a Facebook post by Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba who said he would be proud to share the ballot sheet with Muscat.
“I would be proud to be on the same voting list with him because for me the best interest of Malta and the Labour Party always comes first,” Agius Saliba wrote.
Labour MEP candidate Daniel Attard also took to Facebook to support Muscat.
"There is no doubt about the great contribution that can and has yet to be given to the Labour Party by Dr Joseph Muscat...as a Labour candidate for the EP elections I will be very happy if Joseph Muscat decides to contest," he wrote.