It was the Prime Minister who encouraged Joseph Cuschieri to change his mind and contest the European Parliament election, just three days after the MEP accused the Labour Party of unfairly pushing other candidates.

“I thank Joseph Muscat for immediately taking action to change things around. He told me to move forward and work towards another win for Labour,” Mr Cuschieri told Times of Malta.

The 46-year-old MEP caused a stir this week when he declared during a TV interview that he would not be seeking re-election because the party machinery had already chosen its three candidates and he was not prepared to be on the “losers’ side”.

But three days after his stand against the party’s “manipulative, red carpet treatment” he dida U-turn and announced he would be contesting the May election after all.

Mr Cuschieri refused to reveal exactly how the three candidates – whom he refused to mention by name – were making abusive use of the party machinery, insisting the case was now closed.

More in Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com Pemium.