Verbatim report of proceedings

Thursday, 25 March 2021 - Brussels

Assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta (debate)

  Michal Šimečka (Renew). – Mr President, indeed the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia was an exceptionally gruesome and vicious crime that at the time very few in Europe thought was possible. It awoke everyone all over Europe to some serious rule-of-law problems in Malta, but also more broadly, to the importance of investigative journalism, media freedom and the rule of law.

And after what happened to her, but also Ján Kuciak in Slovakia, we can never become complacent about the safety of journalists in Europe. Yet still, even today, we see people in power in several Member States verbally attacking journalists and complaining about media scrutiny. So today, step by step – although it’s taking too long – the work of Daphne Caruana Galizia has been vindicated in Malta and, as has been said, her family is entitled to justice and the full truth behind the murder, but also all journalists in Europe are entitled to a safe and free environment to pursue their hugely important work.