The government had approached this evening’s no confidence debate with “humility and intellectual honesty”, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said.

Speaking to the press moments after a no confidence motion in Minister without Portfolio Konrad Mizzi was defeated, Dr Muscat said the government had shown it did not wish to ride roughshod over the people.

“We know this case hurt a lot of people. It hurt us, personally as well as politically. But tonight we saw government MPs who didn’t speak with arrogance or any sense of superiority. We showed that we understand what happened,” Dr Muscat said.

Asked if this was now case closed on the Panama affair, Dr Muscat told the Times of Malta: “I’ve said it time and again, the people will decide whether this is now case closed”.

Dr Muscat then turned to the Opposition, which he said had approached this evening’s debate with “plain arrogance”.

“The Opposition’s tone was totally condescending. Pontificating while the Opposition leader is surrounded by cases past and present which has eroded his party,” he said.

Independent MP Marlene Farrugia, who tabled this evening’s motion, had earlier asked the House how Dr Mizzi was not good enough to be in the Labour Party leadership, but was still good enough to be a Cabinet minister.

Asked to react to this, Dr Muscat skirted the issue saying Dr Mizzi had stepped down from the leadership and had been relieved of his ministerial portfolio.