Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has denied that his government's economic model was based on increasing the population.

Responding to a question regarding his government having based the economic model on increasing the population, given the issues it created of cheap labour, increased construction and infrastructural problems, he was asked whether it was a mistake. Muscat said that the economic plan was not based on a population increase, but on increasing economic activity.

"People came from abroad as there weren't enough Maltese to work in the tourism sector and other industries. Not only do I not admit that it was some failure, but rather the people benefitted from the wealth. That doesn't mean there aren't challenges, and the environmental challenge is one of them, but the solution is not that one hold back economic growth."

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana has argued that the country needs to overhaul its economic model if it wants to remain competitive in the face of local and international challenges. Told that the current government itself is trying to change the economic model, Muscat said: "You'd need to ask government. I don't think the Prime Minister's declarations are like that."

Asked whether he would be contesting the MEP election, he said that he has no intention of doing so.