The leader of Alternattiva Demokratika, Arnold Cassola, said today that the fact the Norman Lowell got almost the same amount of votes as his party should be a concern for the country.

AD is estimated to have won 2.8 per cent of first count votes in the European Parliament elections, marginally more than five years ago. Other independent groups may have won up to seven percent in total. None stand a chance of having its candidates elected.

Prof Cassola said he could not say he was satisfied with his party's results, but still he felt AD had a future because the country needed a third voice in politics. As for his own political future, he said he had a mandate till October, which he intended to see out.

The AD leader said he was proud that the AD had concentrated its campaign on European issues.

The results, he said, showed that the people were concerned about immigration and how migrants could be seen as taking jobs of the Maltese. This reinforced AD’s call for a policy on job creation.