Labour leader Joseph Muscat resigned from the European Parliament this afternoon, saying he was satisfied that he had kept the promises he made to the people who elected him.

In a letter to Parliament Speaker Gert Poettering, Dr Muscat said it had been an honour for him to serve in the European Parliament.

He said he had particularly enjoyed working on the Working Time Directive, the updating of regulations on VAT in financial services, roaming charges for mobile telephony, assistance to SMEs and assistance to local councils and NGOs, among other areas.

He said this had been a learning experience and he appreciated the way how the European Parliament politics were based on ideas, not personal confrontation.

In another letter, to Martin Schulz, president of the Socialist Group, Dr Muscat thanked the group for its support, promising that as leader of the MLP, it would find in him a trusted and committed social-democrat partner.