Support for Joseph Muscat has dipped in recent weeks, as the prospects of his candidacy for the upcoming MEP elections faded, a new Times of Malta poll reveals.

A previous edition of the poll held last month had found that while 17% of voters said that having Muscat stand for election would encourage them to vote, a further 21% either refused to answer or said they were uncertain.

While the number of people galvanised to vote by Muscat’s candidacy remains roughly unchanged, only dipping by one percentage point, many of those who were previously on the fence now say that it would put them off voting altogether.

The number of people who hold this position has now risen to 28%, up by eight percentage points.

Meanwhile, the share of people who say that they are nonplussed by his prospective candidacy has remained steady at a little over 40%.

Unsurprisingly, PN voters remain steadfast against Muscat’s candidacy with 56% saying that they would be put off voting if he were on the ballot sheet.

March’s poll had found that almost one out of every five PN voters said that they would be pushed to vote if he were standing for election, although this may well mean that they would vote for a different candidate in the hope that he is defeated. This has now dropped sharply, with only 3% holding that view.

Meanwhile, Muscat’s candidacy has also dipped among Labour voters. Just over a quarter now say that they would be encouraged to vote if he were to stand, down from 32% in March.

Likewise, 18% of Labour voters now say that having Muscat on the ballot sheet would dissuade them from voting, up by seven percentage points.

The poll was carried out by market research firm Esprimi in early April, asking 600 respondents for their views on the upcoming MEP elections.

Muscat appears increasingly unlikely to stand

Muscat had teased the possibility of a second stint as an MEP earlier this year, saying that he was mulling his options in January.

An internal party poll weeks later suggested that 20,000 Labour supporters who were considering abstaining would be moved to vote if he were to stand, bringing about a 40,000-vote victory for the party.

But talk of Muscat’s candidacy has cooled in recent weeks and the prospect is appearing increasingly remote as election day approaches.