It all started as a joke, but the small sweet pastries donning the Nationalist and Labour electoral campaign logos are selling fast.

And the Żabbar confectionery that came up with the idea will soon be stocking Easter figolli embossed with political logos.

“I wouldn’t say they are selling like pastizzi, but people certainly like them. Initially we thought they would not go down well with the locals. The Maltese take politics very seriously and actually fight over their beliefs.

“But we sold some 200 in less than a week... and we are even getting orders over the phone,” Paul Buttigieg, owner of Mucho Gusto Confectionery, told The Times.

The idea came about when the 32-year-old was talking politics with Peter Saffrett – the patisserie chef who has been making pastries for the confectionery for the past three years – and he suggested they should start making politically themed pastini.

“Politics is in the air, and we thought this would be a good laugh. Some customers are in fact buying pastini with a logo of the opposing party and giving it to friends and relatives to tease them,” he said.

The confectionery, ironically located on Labour Avenue, started selling these chocolate-filled pastries a week ago.

The logo is printed in edible ink on rice paper.