Joseph Muscat has offered a crude assessment of the shenanigans witnessed in Parliament over the past few weeks: MPs are acting for the cameras.

Speaking on One Radio, the Prime Minister said Parliament had become a television programme that people watched.

“I am noticing – and this is my analysis at a glance – and I hope I am mistaken that in the old Parliament the situation was more amicable. The fact that we are now on television has prompted some to act [for the cameras] by trying to show what a bully they are by shouting.”

Roping in both sides of the House, Dr Muscat said everyone had to learn and understand that people were now following Parliament on TV and it was important that MPs led by example.

He urged MPs to act cautiously and hoped that the cooperation that existed in the past would not be abandoned because of the TV cameras.

The live streaming on TV of parliamentary sessions has been partly blamed for unruly behaviour by some MPs since the opening of the new building at City Gate.

Speaker Anġlu Farrugia had also warned he would rekindle old Standing Orders and expel members for unruly behaviour after various incidents that provided for social media sensations.