Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has left people guessing as to whether he will contest the upcoming European Parliament elections, saying that “things will be clear” by Monday – when nominations for candidates officially close.

There has been speculation that Muscat would contest on the Labour Party’s ticket for the upcoming MEP election, and although it has cooled in recent weeks there was never a definitive answer from Muscat on whether he would or not.

Nominations for candidates for the MEP elections, which take place on 8 June, open on Thursday and close on Monday 29 April.

Asked point blank whether he will be contesting the elections, Muscat told journalists that he would make any announcements on the matter officially when he makes his decision.

“There will be a clear signal, and you will be able to see this… there will be a signal this week, by Monday things will be clear,” he said.

Pressed further, Muscat said that he had his own considerations to make on the decision, saying that there are some “very serious personal considerations” which “have nothing to do with politics or any other judicial matter” which he would not divulge but which play a part.

At the same time, the country may yet see some of Muscat – irrespective of whether he contests or not – during the electoral campaign, as he said that he had accepted to attend and speak at events by any Labour Party candidate who had asked.

He said that he would say yes to “anything that the [Labour] party asks of me without any problems.”

Muscat’s comment came on the same morning that the Labour Party’s former general secretary Jason Micallef, a close friend of the former Prime Minister, said on social media that Muscat would not be on the Labour Party’s ballot sheet come June.

“This is certainly a big opportunity lost for Malta and for the Labour Party,” he said.