Socialist MEP Birgit Sippel has joined calls for Joseph Muscat to leave office immediately, saying: “Trust has been completely destroyed”.

“Like it or not, even if you think it’s unfair, you have to take action. The situation is toxic. You cannot simply go on as if nothing has happened,” she told the press after a fact-finding mission to Malta.

She said this was her personal assessment but she admitted there was “pressure” at an EU level on the Labour Party too.

Head of the delegation MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld went even further, saying it would not be a bad idea for the police to question Muscat over the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination.

“If Muscat has nothing to hide, this is in his own interest, but he has not been very generous with information so far,” she said, adding that Muscat should also immediately publish the Egrant report.

“We have serious concerns about Muscat staying in office. The next 40 days are crucial to investigation and we cannot have risks, or even perceived risks, of the investigation being compromised.”

She added that while the murder investigation had made progress, other investigations into corruption and money laundering have either not started or not been vigorous.

The delegation also raised concerns about the safety of journalists, the threats to peaceful demonstration and the hate campaign levelled at the Caruana Galizia family.

The MEPs called on the European Commission to be “bolder and quicker” in taking a stand.

Sophie in ‘t Veld also warned that in the next 10 days Muscat would sit on the EU Council table with other EU members of state.

MEP Assita Kanko, who is originally from Burkino Faso, said she never imagined she would be visiting an EU state and witnessing what she was experiencing today.