Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat had his eyes set on the European Union presidency in his message for 2010.

"The next decade will be posing a huge challenge to Malta. 2017, the year of Malta's EU presidency, will serve to showcase Malta to Europe and the rest of the world, showing our nation is far bigger than the sweet land we live on.

"We can take on this responsibility, of taking on this challenge. We can give a vision of Malta as the best in Europe, leading Europe."

Dr Muscat said the next government would be taking on the challenge, adding Malta couldn't lead the European agenda for six months with a "mediocre, anything-goes mentality".

He was convinced that until this historic date, the country would have made the necessary choices and prepared itself to be the best in Europe.

The year 2010 was the start of a decade in which Malta would emerge from the recession and could start rebuilding itself on prosperity and work.

"We have to look back at our mistakes to learn from them and not repeat them. These have been 10 years in which there were times - too many, I say - where the country was allowed to be divided and people worked for division, not unity."

This "bad use of politics" was the reason many people had become disillusioned with politics.

He said he wanted Labour to be a protagonist in the change of mentality in the country.

He sent his best wishes for the New Year on behalf of his family, the Labour Party and the "Movement of Moderates and Progressives".