The Nationalist Party said this evening that the prime minister's announcement on the siting of the American University of Malta was the result of the pressure it had mounting along with the environmental lobby and civil society.

"The PN takes note of Joseph Muscat’s admission that he went about this in the wrong way just like on many other issues," it said.

"After Muscat had compromised his position by isolating himself, he had no option but to go back to the drawing board," it said.

"It is a pity that his only solution to avoid using ecologically sensitive land was to resort to a smaller footprint of ODZ land. For the Opposition, this remains a matter of serious concern.

"The Government is constantly putting itself in a situation of having to clean up its own mess. There is a better way to run the country."