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Torsdagen den 25 mars 2021 - Bryssel

11. Mordet på Daphne Caruana Galizia och rättsstatssituationen i Malta (debatt)

  Presidente. – L'ordine del giorno reca la discussione sulla dichiarazione della Commissione sull'assassinio di Daphne Caruana Galizia e sullo Stato di diritto a Malta (2021/2611(RSP)).

Ricordo a tutti gli onorevoli e le onorevoli colleghe che per tutte le discussioni di questa tornata non è prevista la procedura "catch-the-eye", né saranno accettate domande "cartellino blu".

Inoltre, come già nelle precedenti tornate, sono previsti interventi a distanza dagli Uffici di rappresentanza del Parlamento presso gli Stati membri.

  Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the Commission. – Mr President, I would like to thank you for inviting the Commission to this debate. The Commission has always condemned the brutal assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia in the strongest possible terms. It was a shocking event and a stark reminder that the safety of journalists is not a given, even in a democratic European Union. The right of a journalist to investigate, ask uncomfortable questions and report, is at the heart of democracy. It needs to be guaranteed at all times.

The Commission is closely following the developments in the criminal investigation regarding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. We have repeatedly stressed the need for those responsible for her assassination to be brought to justice, without any political interference. The Commission has also welcomed the ongoing public inquiry as a positive aspect, as it also gives the possibility to civil society in Malta to monitor developments and to play a role in defending the rule of law. And indeed, the inquiry praised a strong public demand for a strengthened capacity to tackle corruption and wider rule-of-law reforms.

The work of Daphne Caruana Galizia unveiled patterns of corruption, fraud and money laundering. Recent events resulting from a magisterial inquiry that was inspired by Daphne’s work are very symbolic. They show the value and importance of media freedom in a free and open society, and today they also show that the prosecution and justice system in Malta can work. We all, and particularly her family, expect that justice be ultimately fully served.

The 2020 rule-of-law report acknowledges that a number of significant reforms of the Maltese justice system were adopted last year. In particular, the reforms of the system of judicial appointments and of disciplinary proceedings aim at strengthening judicial independence and the system of the separation of powers. They also aim at responding to some of the Venice Commission’s recommendations and the recommendations from the European Commission and from the Council in the framework of the European Semester. Also a prosecution service under the authority of the Office of the Attorney General, and fully separate from the State Advocate, has been set up and these are all steps in the right direction. But important concerns remain as regards the efficiency of the justice system – the judicial proceedings being very long at all levels, and in all categories of cases.

As regards the anti-corruption framework, it still lacks a track record of securing convictions in high-level corruption cases. We take note that authorities have launched broad reforms to address gaps and strengthen the institutional anti-corruption framework, including law enforcement and prosecution. The effective implementation of these reforms will show the extent to which the Maltese Government has addressed the recommendations from the Venice Commission and the group of states against corruption – GRECO – in addition to those from the European Commission.

The assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia was widely seen as an attack on the free press. It triggered concerns about media freedom and the safety of journalists in Malta and beyond. We see the increasing number of threats against investigative journalists online and offline across the whole of Europe. And this is why we need to act. The Commission is now working on a recommendation to Member States on the safety of journalists. On Tuesday I opened the first ever European news media forum with a dialogue on the safety of journalists. Several Members of the European Parliament participated in this event and today it is Matthew Caruana Galizia, the son of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the director of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, who is delivering the closing address at this event.

Other areas of concern regarding the media in Malta include the effective independence of the media regulator. The ownership, control or management by the two main political parties in Malta of multiple Maltese media outlets continues to have a significant impact on the Maltese media landscape. The reforms of institutional rules, such as limiting the role of the Prime Minister in the appointment of independent commissions, aim at strengthening the overall system of checks and balances and at responding to some of the recommendations made by the Venice Commission.

In light of these findings, the Commission has called on the Maltese authorities to do three things in particular. One, continue with its reform efforts. Two, ensure a wide consultation of society on these reforms. And three, ensure a proper implementation of the reforms already adopted.

The Commission has underlined the need for an inclusive approach when preparing and adopting structural reforms that have a strong impact on the rule of law. It is also important to follow the recommendations from the Council of Europe. Such reforms can only succeed when support for them is widespread in the society. This is why it is vital that all relevant actors, including civil society organisations and the people, have their say. The Commission is in contact with the Maltese authorities in the spirit of sincere cooperation in order to support reform steps.

  Manfred Weber, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Mr President, when Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in a horrific car bomb in October 2017, it was clear that she could only have been killed because of what she wrote or because of what she was about to write. For years, she had been exposing corruption in power right up to the office of the prime minister himself.

Since then, the judicial process has been moving slowly but surely. We recognise that. But the public institutions remain politically captured and the political consequences have been totally absent, until now. This is a matter of major concern for us.

New developments in court are deeply disturbing: a former minister and deputy leader of the ruling Labour Party has been named by one of the killers as having known about the plot and tipped off the killers. And just this week, on Tuesday, the two other killers also offered information about the involvement of ministers. This means that the ruling party knew about the plot to kill Daphne. I have no words to describe how shocking this is. When I hear these things I ask myself: how is this possible in today’s European Union?

But what is even worse is that there have been no consequences at all for the moment, no arrests, no resignation, no political consequences, nothing. It’s as if nothing has happened in Malta, and this is unacceptable for the European Union of today.

When public institutions are politically captured, they obstruct justice instead of serving justice. This becomes a problem of rule of law, not only for Malta, but for all of us. And this is why we are seriously worried about what is happening today in Malta, because the government is not allowing the institutions to work, because the people who should be brought to justice are part or were part of the government itself.

I repeat: this is unacceptable. So we expect the Maltese Government to clean up its house because these things are not acceptable. The EPP stands with the people of Malta in their fight for justice.

  Elena Yoncheva, au nom du groupe S&D. – Monsieur le Président, l’état de droit doit être une priorité pour chaque État membre, et personne ne doit fuir un tel débat. C’est la clé de la confiance mutuelle.

Le destin tragique de Daphne Galizia nous a tous secoués. Nous avons insisté sur une action décisive pour ne plus jamais être témoins de ce qui est arrivé à Daphne. À Malte, nous voyons déjà un désir de changement, et il y a également un procès en cours. Je crois personnellement que justice sera rendue prochainement. Nous le devons à la famille de Daphne, aux journalistes en Europe et à tous les citoyens européens.

Vous voulez également que nous adoptions une résolution. Nous l’adopterons. Mais je vous demande: que faisons-nous avec la Bulgarie, la Hongrie, la Slovénie? Souvenez-vous: nous avons récemment adopté une résolution à propos de la Bulgarie dans cette même salle. Que s’est-il passé en Bulgarie après cela? Rien. Rien ne s’est passé. Le premier ministre bulgare n’a jamais commenté la résolution. Je voudrais demander à mes collègues du PPE combien de temps l’état de droit sera une question de mathématiques politiques?

Enfin, ma question à la Commission est la suivante: quand va-t-elle commencer à utiliser le règlement pour lier l’état de droit au budget? Combien de temps allez-vous serrer la main de dirigeants comme Orbán et Borissov, qui détruisent le fondement de nos sociétés démocratiques?

  Sophia in ‘t Veld, on behalf of the Renew Group. – Mr President, let me start by saying that the rule of law is not a partisan issue, and let’s also establish that there isn’t a single political family, not a single political family, that is immune to corruption and wrongdoing.

I welcome the progress made recently in the judicial proceedings. Finally, we have one conviction. We have several high-profile arrests in the cases that Daphne Caruana Galizia was investigating. But I also conclude that it’s all taken far too long; that too much time has been allowed for the destruction of evidence, thanks to years of inertia and inaction; and that I regret to note that judges may now have to rely on the testimonies of criminals who will get pardoned in return, just for the judges to be able to build their cases. That is not real justice.

I also welcome the process of institutional reforms that has been set in motion. But I also conclude that the political culture has not yet sufficiently changed. I’m concerned that there is too little reform in the internal culture of the political parties, and it’s not a partisan issue. It is an issue of common concern.

The need for political responsibility has already been mentioned, but I would also like to emphasise the need for the selection procedures, the vetting procedures for candidates for high political offices to be reviewed, because I still get too many signals of corrupt practices. I’m quite surprised to know that there is somebody who has now temporarily stepped down as a minister, who was taking cash – large cash payments – when having dinner in a restaurant, and that person is now being investigated by an ethics committee. Now, I cannot judge the details. I don’t want to judge. But I would say against the backdrop of everything that’s happened, an ethics committee may not be the appropriate procedure.

We, in the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, will continue to monitor the situation, to work towards strengthening the rule of law, and we will do that together with all the people of Malta, as Europeans, shoulder to shoulder.

  Maximilian Krah, im Namen der ID-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident, meine sehr verehrten Damen und Herren Kollegen! Wir beschäftigen uns heute mit einem Land, das die Meinungsfreiheit wohl einschränkt durch sein korruptes System, und es ist nicht Ungarn, es ist nicht Polen – es ist Malta. Das erklärt vielleicht auch, dass es doch relativ sanft ist, was hier vorgeschlagen wird, dass nicht darüber nachgedacht wird, EU-Zahlungen einzuschränken, wie in Fällen von Ländern, wo keine Journalisten umgebracht werden.

Malta ist ein Land, das abwechselnd von Sozialdemokraten und Christdemokraten regiert wird und wo sich seitdem – oder vielleicht gerade deshalb – ein System und ein Dickicht von Korruption und Kriminalität herausgebildet hat. Es geht hier eben um einen Mord. Nachdem dieser Mord die Zivilgesellschaft aufgerüttelt hat, ist jetzt der Polizeipräsident zurückgetreten, haben wir festgestellt, dass der Chef der Bankenaufsicht Schmiergelder einer Bank, die er überprüfen sollte, angenommen hat, und ist klar geworden, dass sich in Malta ein Geflecht von Politik, Kontrollinstitutionen, Polizei und Geschäftswelt herausgebildet hat, das mit einer freien Marktwirtschaft, mit Rechtsstaatlichkeit nichts zu tun hat, sondern eher an eine Drittwelt-Oligarchie erinnert.

Und die Frage ist: Wieso so verhalten? Oder umgekehrt: Wieso so aggressiv, wenn es gegen konservative Länder geht, wo komischerweise keine Journalisten umgebracht werden, wo Sie aber jede Art und Weise von irgendwelchen Einschränkungen der Pressefreiheit – ob bestehend oder nicht – dazu zum Anlass nehmen, regelrechte Strafexpeditionen zu fordern? Es ist diese elende Doppelmoral der hier tonangebenden Fraktionen, die unsere gesamte Europäische Union in Misskredit bringt und die Fragen aufwirft, wie ehrlich Sie es meinen.

Malta, liebe Frau Kollegin in 't Veld, ist eben nicht das Problem aller Gruppen hier im Hause. Malta ist das Problem der etablierten Gruppen hier im Hause – der Sozialisten und der Christdemokraten: Es ist ihre Korruption, es ist ihre Geschaftlhuber-Wirtschaft, es ist ihr Dickicht der Korruption, das Daphne Caruana Galizia in die Luft hat sprengen lassen. Nicht unsere, nicht die von Herrn Orbán und nicht die von Herrn Kaczyński.

Wir sollten den Mut haben, die Verantwortlichkeiten zu benennen. Und die Verantwortlichkeiten haben etwas mit Machtsicherheit und Arroganz, mit zu langer Nichthinterfragung der eigenen Position zu tun. Und das ist das Markenzeichen von Sozialisten und Christdemokraten, aber nicht von konservativen bürgerlichen Erneuerungsbewegungen, die sie sonst immer angreifen, um von ihrem eigenen Versagen, der eigenen Korruption und dem eigenen Machtmissbrauch abzulenken.

Endlich kümmern wir uns um Malta – jawohl. Aber wir tun es viel zu sanft, und wir tun es nicht forsch genug. Angemessen wäre hier das, was wir den Polen und den Ungarn nachtragen – nämlich dass wir fordern, die Zuwendungen der Union an dieses Land zu beenden, wenn nicht endlich aufgeräumt wird. Diese Aufforderung geht an die hier tragenden Mehrheitsfraktionen: Räumen Sie bei sich auf, damit keine Journalisten mehr sterben müssen.

  Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, au nom du groupe Verts/ALE. – Monsieur le Président, nous sommes à Malte. Celui qui était Premier ministre jusqu’en janvier 2020, Joseph Muscat, a participé à des échanges de mails avec son chef de cabinet, Keith Schembri, où il était question d’entraver, de paralyser le travail d’une journaliste par l’accumulation de poursuites en diffamation.

Cette journaliste, c’était Daphne Caruana Galizia. Elle enquêtait sur des affaires de corruption, notamment dans le domaine de gros appels d’offres publics en matière d’énergie. Le chef de cabinet en question a ensuite été désigné par un des suspects comme un possible complice de la commande du meurtre. Et puis, aujourd’hui, depuis samedi, il fait face à de graves accusations de corruption par la justice. Le Premier ministre, quant à lui, a tenté de conclure prématurément l’enquête publique et l’enquête policière à plusieurs occasions.

Nous sommes à Malte. En novembre 2020, l’ancien ministre de l’énergie a refusé de répondre à plus de 100 questions dans le cadre de l’enquête publique. L’ancien ministre de l’économie a vu son nom circuler parmi les suspects. Une députée a reçu à plusieurs occasions de l’argent en cash. Des politiciens, des hommes d’affaires, des fonctionnaires, un nombre considérable de personnes semblent avoir des connexions avec ceux qui ont préparé et perpétré ce meurtre.

Nous sommes à Malte. Le 16 octobre 2017, Daphne Caruana Galizia était assassinée  un meurtre prémédité, organisé, financé, et on peut craindre une implication jusqu’au plus haut niveau de l’État. Justice et police ont été entravées parfois, au point qu’Europol s’est demandé s’il fallait continuer à collaborer.

Nous sommes à Malte. On peut, avec beaucoup d’argent, y acheter la citoyenneté européenne; on peut être trafiquants, criminels, on peut être un exilé fiscal, on peut être terroriste, on ne vous posera pas de questions, si vous avez l’argent, comme à Chypre, comme en Bulgarie, comme dans divers endroits. Voilà la valeur de la citoyenneté européenne. Nous sommes à Malte; nous sommes dans l’Union européenne.

  Assita Kanko, on behalf of the ECR Group. – Mr President, as Mr Weber also just pointed out, it’s very hard to imagine that this is happening inside the European Union. To me, it’s even harder to imagine when I discussed with people I grew up with in Burkina Faso about what is happening here in the continent of enlightenment, while we’re travelling around the world to show everyone how to respect human rights. We knew inside the EU for years that there was something rotten in the state of Malta and yet it was continually ignored or diminished. In recent days and weeks we have seen the highest echelons of government implicated in the murder of a journalist.

We can never bring back Daphne Caruana Galizia to her husband and children, but we can bring them justice. We must bring them justice. We can show that Europe has learned its lessons. No corner of the EU must be free from scrutiny of the rule of law. It makes no difference whether you are a conservative, a liberal or a socialist. We are all equal in the eyes of democracy and the law. As long as we treat the rule of law as a political football we will chip away at our own credibility and authority, both at home and on the global stage.

We have discussed in this Chamber the shortcomings of governments on the right, but we failed miserably in this House to discuss Malta, due to its origins being on the left. Let’s never repeat the mistake. I hope that finally justice is delivered for the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia. I hope that the truth is delivered for our citizens and I hope that journalists will never live in fear of writing their story in our territories.

  Κωνσταντίνος Αρβανίτης, εξ ονόματος της ομάδας The Left. – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, κύριε Επίτροπε, κυρίες και κύριοι συνάδελφοι, είναι 25 Μαρτίου σήμερα. Η πατρίδα μου και οι απανταχού Έλληνες και φιλέλληνες τιμούμε τα 200 χρόνια από την επανάσταση των σκλαβωμένων Ελλήνων και Ελληνίδων. Σήμερα, η Ελλάδα τιμά τα 200 χρόνια από την έναρξη του αγώνα της εθνικής της ανεξαρτησίας και της δημοκρατίας. Είναι μια πολύ μεγάλη ημέρα για όλους τους Έλληνες και για όλους εσάς που, πιστεύω, είστε φιλέλληνες.

Ο εθνικός μας ύμνος, αγαπητοί συνάδελφοι, είναι ύμνος για την ελευθερία και τη δικαιοσύνη, που, δυστυχώς, είναι και σήμερα ζητούμενο σε πολλές από τις χώρες μας και ειδικά εδώ στην Ευρώπη. Στην Ουγγαρία, στην Πολωνία, στη Σλοβενία, στη Μάλτα, στην Ελλάδα, στην Ιταλία υπάρχει πολύ σοβαρό θέμα με τον Τύπο. Εδώ, όμως, μιλάμε για τη δολοφονία ενός ανθρώπου, μιας γυναίκας δημοσιογράφου που ερευνούσε και εργαζόταν για την αλήθεια. Συζητάμε για το αναφαίρετο δικαίωμα στη ζωή.

Δεν γίνεται να μένουμε άπραγοι μπροστά σε αυτή τη φρικτή πραγματικότητα της δολοφονίας ερευνητών δημοσιογράφων, επειδή βγάζουν στο φως υποθέσεις κυβερνητικής διαφθοράς. Δεν θα σταματήσουμε μέχρι να οδηγηθούν ενώπιον της δικαιοσύνης όλοι οι υπεύθυνοι. Και βεβαίως, δεν μπορούμε εμείς απλώς να καταγράφουμε. Οφείλουμε να αναλάβουμε δράση, να λάβουμε μέτρα. Οφείλουμε, νομίζω, όλοι εμείς οι βουλευτές του δημοκρατικού τόξου, όλοι ανεξαιρέτως, να στηρίξουμε και να πιέσουμε θεσμικά· να πιέσουμε τα θεσμικά μας όργανα να παράσχουν ουσιαστική στήριξη κάθε μορφής ερευνητικής δημοσιογραφίας, που είναι πολύτιμος σύμμαχος για τη δημοκρατία. Η μάχη για τη δημοκρατία, τη δικαιοσύνη και το κράτος δικαίου είναι μια μάχη για την ψυχή και το αύριο της Ευρώπης που όλοι αγαπάμε.

  Sabrina Pignedoli (NI). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, perché è stata uccisa Daphne Caruana Galizia? Perché scriveva. Scriveva senza censura dei traffici illegali che coinvolgevano anche importanti cariche istituzionali maltesi.

Le inchieste della giornalista riguardavano, tra l'altro, la corruzione e la vendita dei passaporti d'oro e il contrabbando del petrolio, affari in cui si arriva al coinvolgimento di membri del governo, a opachi intrecci societari e a legami con le mafie italiane. Ma le indagini sono difficili per la scarsa indipendenza del sistema investigativo e giudiziario dal governo maltese.

Inoltre Malta, in quanto Stato membro dell'Unione europea, è tenuta a cooperare con gli organi inquirenti degli altri Stati: ma le risposte che vengono date arrivano con estrema lentezza e difficolta. In particolare vengono riscontrate difficoltà oggettive a ottenere collaborazione rispetto alle misure più incisive per contrastare proprio forme gravi di criminalità organizzata, come le intercettazioni telefoniche e telematiche.

Questa situazione non è accettabile: Malta deve mostrare con azioni concrete di voler combattere la criminalità. Lo Stato, tutti gli Stati, l'Unione europea, noi abbiamo l'obbligo di portare avanti le battaglie di Daphne per giustizia e legalità.

  Esteban González Pons (PPE). – Mr President, Daphne Caruana was not a remote victim of an incident. She was the target of a criminal organisation of corruption and fraud, plotted from and by the very top of the Maltese Government. For years those in power have tried to transform Malta into a paradise for dark business and golden business. For years they have tried to establish a code of silence and fear. But enough is enough. Malta deserves better. The European Union must do something.

We demand the Maltese Government to take full responsibility in this case. Criminals must be brought to justice: those who killed Daphne, but also those who gave them instructions and political protection. Protecting killers of a journalist from the government – from the government – is one of the most serious attacks on the rule of law. The Maltese Government should be aware, if they don’t help to solve the murder of Daphne Caruana, this Chamber will have to act, and it will not be just a simple resolution. And we demand to our friends the Social Democrats in this Chamber to break all ties with the Maltese Labour Party, because this party is protecting the killers of Daphne. I say it again, killers! And this is shameful for the Social Democrats and for the whole Chamber.

VORSITZ: RAINER WIELAND
Vizepräsident

  Alfred Sant (S&D). – Mr President, in past speeches to this plenary my comrades and I promised that the Labour government in Malta would relentlessly strive to find the murderers of Daphne Caruana Galizia and bring them to justice. That promise is still valid and it is being fully honoured. The road has been longer than we’ve anticipated, but it is still being followed.

Shocking discoveries have been made. Some have got close to the bone, but there have been no let-ups. Other discoveries may still made about them too. There will be no indulgence: that this is so, the Robert Abela administration in Malta has given more than enough assurances and it will continue to deliver on its promises.

Meanwhile, it has also been carrying out institutional reforms that respond to what the Council of Europe and EU institutions, including this House, have called for. But there is a time for political initiative and action. There is a time for the police to investigate and prosecute and there is a time for the courts to judge. This debate has been called at the same time that crucial evidence about the Caruana Galizia murder and more is being given in a court of law.

In this House, in the past, the Malta Government was criticised for not having yet prosecuted perpetrators of the murder. Now we are there and there should be no place for political or other intervention in the judicial process. We claim, as one of our basic values, that the full separation should be observed between the judicial, executive and legislative arms of government.

Yet this debate is quite clearly intruding hugely in judicial processes that have been making slow but spectacular progress. It brings no value-added to the rule of law or to justice.

Quite rightly, in the past, this House kept back from discussing lengthy controversial cases arising in the judicial system of Member States, such as the Sarkozy case in France and the Bárcenas-Gürtel scandal in Spain. So why are two weights and two measures being applied today?

I can only repeat one assurance. There will be full justice, without fear or favour, towards all those guilty of the atrocious murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

  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.

  Sven Giegold (Verts/ALE). – Mr President, Europe has a responsibility for Daphne Caruana Galizia. It is our responsibility to ensure justice for Daphne, because Daphne fought for our common European values, for the rule of law, for democracy and for tax justice. When Daphne was murdered the extensive problems around corruption and money laundering that she investigated for so many years did not disappear. On the contrary, these problems are still structural problems in Malta. So as Europeans we must continue Daphne’s fight. The continuation of her cause means at least two things.

First, we must urge the Maltese institutions to hold every single person accountable that was involved in the murder of Daphne. The same applies to the cases of high-level corruption Daphne reported on. And let me be clear on this, the role of Joseph Muscat must be fully investigated. Justice for Daphne: that means that every person must be held accountable, no matter how powerful he is.

And second, we have to address the structural problems of corruption and money laundering in Malta. Also on this point I want to be clear. The system in Malta is still rotten. Some improvements have been made, but the big tidying-up still needs to happen. Also, the recommendations of the Venice Commission have not been implemented yet, as the Council of Europe rapporteur Pieter Omtzigt demonstrated recently in a follow-up report.

A culture of impunity for financial crime persists. Parliamentary reform and the effective protection of journalism against lawsuits is equally outstanding. As the European Parliament, we cannot accept this, and therefore I call on the European Commission to hold Malta accountable when it comes to infringements of EU law. The passport issue is not enough. It’s also about public procurement, financial supervision, environmental law. So what Europe can and should do for Daphne today is to make sure that her work was not in vain. Europe must do everything it can to continue her fight, for Daphne, for the people in Malta and for the rule of law in our common European Union.

  Elżbieta Kruk (ECR). – Panie Przewodniczący! Groźby i ataki na dziennikarzy stały się dziś częścią ich pracy. Nękanie dziennikarzy to coraz częściej metoda uciszania mediów. Poziom wolności prasy obniżył się na całym świecie, a, jak widać, Europa też już nie jest dla dziennikarzy azylem. Tymczasem bezpieczeństwo, w szczególności dziennikarzy śledczych, leży w żywotnym interesie społeczeństw demokratycznych.

Maltanka Daphne Caruana Galizia została zabita przez płatnych morderców w związku ze swoją pracą reporterską. Pisała o korupcji zarówno w środowisku biznesowym, jak i w kręgach władzy. Choć śledztwo w tej sprawie doprowadziło do aresztowania podejrzanych, wydaje się, że nie wszystkie zamieszane w sprawę osoby – sprawcy lub ich wspólnicy – zostały aresztowane i oskarżone. Nie wszystko jeszcze wiemy. Wiemy natomiast, jak wysoko mogła sięgać badana przez dziennikarkę afera korupcyjna. Tylko wówczas, gdy prawda o tym zabójstwie zostanie w pełni wyjaśniona, praca, za którą Daphne Caruana Galizia zapłaciła najwyższą cenę, nie pójdzie na marne. Rozwiązanie tej sprawy ma daleko idące konsekwencje dla poszanowania praworządności i problemu korupcji w ogóle. Nie możemy pozwolić na zabijanie niewygodnych dziennikarzy, by zamykać im usta.

Jest jednak jeszcze inna kwestia dotycząca mediów. Kiedyś spełniały funkcję kontroli społecznej nad pozostałymi władzami, aby nie dochodziło do nadużyć i korupcji. Ale czy dziś zawsze pełnią tę funkcję? Mówi się wszak o nich jako o czwartej władzy, choć nie z wyboru i bez kontroli. Warto o tym pamiętać, choć zdaję sobie sprawę, panie Przewodniczący, że to inna debata, ale może warto taką również podjąć.

  Marisa Matias (The Left). – Senhor Presidente, Caros Colegas, Caras Colegas, três resoluções parlamentares sobre Daphne Caruana Galizia e sobre o Estado de Direito em Malta, quatro missões parlamentares das quais saíram muitos dados, todas elas realizadas em Malta, dois debates em plenário onde debatemos as questões relacionadas com Malta, com o Estado de Direito e com o assassinato de Daphne Caruana Galizia. E continuamos exatamente como começámos ou muito perto do que começámos.

Qual é a nossa legitimidade quando todos os meses trazemos aqui, no debate de urgências, casos de violação do Estado de Direito, de assassinato de jornalistas em outras partes do mundo, defendemos a aplicação de sanções a estes países, mas deixamos que tudo continue a acontecer em Malta.

A corrupção em Malta não é de hoje e a gestão da corrupção pelo poder político também não é de hoje: casos de corrupção e lavagem de dinheiro que não são investigados, em relação às quais não se vê nenhum progresso, ou morosidade nos casos em que há progresso, como aconteceu recentemente, ainda bem, mas muito, muito lentamente.

Os criminosos responsáveis pelo assassinato foram perdoados pelo Presidente ou aguardam decisão. Não haverá justiça para dar a Daphne Caruana Galizia enquanto os responsáveis pelo seu assassinato não forem condenados e não haverá nenhuma capacidade de nos olharmos ao espelho enquanto não percebermos que o combate à corrupção e a liberdade de imprensa são mesmo para ser levados a sério.

  Balázs Hidvéghi (NI). – Tisztelt Elnök Úr! Daphne Caruana Galizia máltai újságírónő halálának ügyében évek óta folyik a nyomozás. Ez alapján egyértelmű, hogy a politikai gyilkosság szálai a baloldali máltai kormány legmagasabb szintjéig vezetnek el. Ehhez képest, az európai baloldali frakciók évek óta ködösítenek ebben az ügyben. És emlékezzünk rá, többször megpróbálták megakadályozni, hogy egyáltalán napirendre vegyük ezt az ügyet itt, az EP-ben. Ez a politikai és erkölcsi cinizmus már önmagában is botrányos. Az azonban még ezen is túltesz, hogy ugyanezek a baloldali képviselők, akik a máltai szocialista kormányt érintő gyilkossági ügyben hallgatnának, folyamatosan mondvacsinált ügyekkel és hazugságokkal támadnak jobboldali, kereszténydemokrata kormányokat Lengyelországban, Magyarországon, az utóbbi időben, Szlovéniában, sőt most már Bulgáriában is.

Felszólítom Vera Jourová biztost, hogy ha valóban olyan fontos számára a demokrácia, akkor indítson jogállamisági eljárást Máltával szemben! Úgy tűnik, ott van miért, és ne folytasson ideológiai háborúskodást több millió közép-európai választópolgár ellen, akik szabad és demokratikus választásokon választottak jobboldali kormányokat!

  Roberta Metsola (PPE). – Mr President, our message today is clear: we need those responsible for the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, those who let it happen and those who tried to cover it up to face justice. We need an end to impunity and justice for the stories that she was killed for exposing and we must prevent this from happening ever again. That means strengthening our systems and giving Europol more authority on sharing evidence and investigations. It means having an anti-strategic lawsuit against public participation (anti-SLAPP) directive to not let them dismiss this as partisan bickering. It is far more important.

And do not judge my country by the actions of criminals posing as politicians. Malta is not them. Malta is better than them. We may be an island of 25 by 15 kilometres, but we do not see ourselves as small. We built back better after becoming the most bombed place on earth. We pushed for democracy and joined the EU as equals. We are the country that put climate change on the world agenda. We are the island of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s courage, Oliver Friggieri’s pen, Joseph Calleja’s voice, Edward de Bono’s thinking.

When you look at Malta, understand that the criminals do not represent the true face of our country. Look at the thousands of businesses who work hard, create jobs and thrive while playing by the rules. Look at those who stand up as they face down an organised machine of abuse and intimidation. Look at the families who look to Europe to protect the values that our generation was promised.

This House should not give the criminals the comfort of silence or patronage. And let us do our best to ensure that this never happens again anywhere.

  Cyrus Engerer (S&D). – Sur President, din ma hijiex kwistjoni ta’ politika partiġġjana. Kulħadd f’Malta jrid li ssir ġustizzja fuq l-assassinju atroċi ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia; kulħadd f’Malta jrid li l-verità kollha toħroġ u kulħadd f’Malta jrid li kull min kellu x’jaqsam ma’ dan il-każ jingħata l-piena li tixraqlu: huma min huma. Però, kollegi, il-verità qiegħda toħroġ għaliex f’Malta llum għandna istituzzjonijiet li qegħdin jaħdmu. Istituzzjonijiet li rajna b’mod ċar li ma huma jħarsu lejn wiċċ ħadd. Iva, llum għandna Malta aħjar. B’dispjaċir li biex wasalna hawn, però, kellna deċennji ta’ abbuż u sfortunatament anke qtil.

Però dan id-dibattitu jinkwetani; mhux għax niddejjaq li nitkellmu fuq pajjiżi. Dan nagħmlu b’wiċċi minn quddiem fil-Kumitat tal-Ġustizzja, li jien l-MEP Laburista fih, fejn naġġornakom dwar in-nuqqasijiet li kellna u l-avvanzi li l-Gvern Malti mmexxi minn Robert Abela għamel matul din l-aħħar sena. Avvanzi li minn meta kont tifel jiena, kont nisma’ li jridu jsiru, iżda li ħadd qatt ma kellu r-rieda li jagħmilhom. Ninkwieta għaliex, bħal ma tgħid il-Konvenzjoni tad-Drittijiet tal-Bniedem b’mod ċar fl-Artikolu 6, diskussjonijiet politiċi u fil-midja bħal dawn, dwar dak li qed jingħad mix-xhieda waqt li għaddej il-każ, jistgħu jippreġudikaw il-proċess ġudizzjarju u jgħinu aktar lill-akkużati milli biex issir ġustizzja.

F’ġieh il-verità u f’ġieh il-ġustizzja, ieqfu ippolitiċizzaw il-proċess ġudizzjarju! Is-Sur Weber ħareġ mill-kamra, però jiddispjaċini nisma’ li qal li l-Partit Laburista kien jaf minn qabel bil-qtil ta’ Daphne. Aħna l-Partit Laburista: nies ġenwini li nemmnu fil-ġustizzja u li nemmnu fil-progress. Hawn min tatu ferneżija biex b’urġenza niddiskutu llum dak li għadu f’nofs xhieda, wieħed mix-xhud f’dan il-każ. Ferneżija mhux għax iridu li toħroġ il-verità, imma ferneżija għax iridu jirbħu l-punti elettorali qabel elezzjoni ġenerali.

Sur President, saret il-ħsara lill-pajjiż minn kull min abbuża mill-istituzzjonijiet tul id-deċennji sħaħ. Din id-drawwa biddilha l-gvern progressiv f’din l-aħħar sena. Saħħaħ is-saltna tad-dritt, saħħaħ id-demokrazija, mexa mar-rakkommandazzjonijet tal-Kummissjoni Veneżja.... (il-President interrompa lill-kelliem)

  Maite Pagazaurtundúa (Renew). – Señor presidente, señora comisaria, ¡qué hermosa lengua es el maltés! Sobre todo cuando no se utiliza para mentir.

El caso de Malta es uno de los que estamos viendo en Europa donde la prensa libre es ninguneada e incluso atacada por parte de partidos políticos y de Gobiernos a quienes no les interesa la verdad, sino el poder con cada vez menos límites. En maltes, en inglés o en español. Y los hechos verídicos son la única vacuna contra esto, y la lucha contra la corrupción.

Daphne Caruana Galizia fue asesinada para callarla. Para que no buscase hechos sobre la corrupción y el caciquismo. Keith Schembri, el exjefe de gabinete del primer ministro, ha sido acusado de corrupción, blanqueo de capitales, fraude y falsificación sobre la base de una investigación que publicó Daphne en 2016. Antes de ser asesinada, fue deshumanizada, vejada, humillada. Hasta ahora no ha habido ni decencia en maltés ni en inglés, ni aceptación de la responsabilidad pese a que los tres sicarios apuntan directamente adonde apuntan. Tres años.

Si queremos ser fieles a la palabra que dimos en los homenajes, primero debemos conseguir ser eficaces en el respeto a la libertad de información y su protección. Y, segundo, en estado de shock aprobamos medidas en la comisión contra la corrupción. Apliquémoslas.

  Silvia Modig (The Left). – Arvoisa puhemies, oikeusvaltio on ja sen pitää olla yhteisten arvojen keskeinen periaate. Tämä on liian arvokas keskustelu haaskattavaksi puoluepolitikointiin. Toimivassa oikeusvaltiossa on vapaa ja moniääninen media. Toimivassa oikeusvaltiossa tutkivat journalistit ja riippumaton media toimivat vallan vahtikoirana tuoden päivänvaloon väärinkäytökset. Toimivassa oikeusvaltiossa rikoksen uhri saa oikeutta riippumattomasta oikeuslaitoksesta.

Daphne Caruana Galizian järkyttävä kohtalo on tehnyt näkyväksi Maltan ongelmat ja korruption laajuuden tavalla, joka vaatii meitä toimimaan. Oikeusvaltioperiaatteen loukkauksia on ilmennyt useita. Rajoituksia mielenilmausten järjestämisessä, median vapauden rajoittamisessa, korruptiota, rahanpesua. Ongelmat näyttävät olevan rakenteellisia. Oikeusvaltioperiaatteiden noudattaminen, se koskee joka ikistä jäsenvaltiota, ja siksi komission on viipymättä ruvettava toimiin varmistaakseen, että Daphne Caruana Galizia saa oikeutta ja että Malta palaa oikeusvaltioperiaatteen polulle. Kiitos.

  Paulo Rangel (PPE). – Mr President, my dear fellow European citizens of Malta, we are always very proud of your country, also because you are the Fatherland and the Motherland of such a European hero and the freedom champion like Daphne Caruana Galizia.

But we have to condemn, and also to be ashamed of the former and of the present Maltese Government that are undoubtedly associated to this repugnant and repellent crime. Let me be very loud and very clear: when impunity, corruption, destruction of evidence, concealment, obstruction of justice, flourishes and endures; when the perpetrators of this crime and other crimes dare to ask for pardon and official clemency; when the connections and links with members of government and of the Labour Party are widely proved, we are not in the presence of a crime, we are not before a single case of impunity, no, we are in the presence of a systematic violation and a massive breach of the rule of law.

And that is why I urge the S&D Group to acknowledge this breach. And I appeal to all the members of the meeting of today’s European Council to address the persistent breach of all values of the European Union by the Maltese Government.

Please be courageous and honour the memory of Daphne, honour the pride and honour of all Maltese citizens.

  Lara Wolters (S&D). – Mr President, well, I will try, and because I’m not here as a member of the S&D to deny the deep corruption patterns in Malta, as identified in the Commission’s 2020 rule-of-law report. And I’m not here either to overstate the progress that has been made, even though the Commission’s assessment is tentatively positive. I am here to stand up for journalists who must be able to do their work without being pestered by defamation lawsuits and certainly without physical attacks or assassination attempts. And I’m also here to stand up for justice and the rule of law.

The Council of Europe, the Venice Committee, the Commission recommendations on Malta, they should all be implemented urgently. No country is immune to the temptations of power and the serious allegations of money laundering, tax evasion and corruption should be recognised by all here.

And lastly, I am here because far too often our debates in this room do not seem to originate from genuine concerns over our Union and the rule of law. And having studied together with Andrew Caruana, I feel very strongly that he and his brothers deserve better than what we tend to provide them with. I’m here to remind colleagues that Daphne Caruana’s family are not helped by the political games that are played on both sides of this House and to remind those that need reminding that their suffering is still real.

  Moritz Körner (Renew). – Herr Präsident! Der schreckliche Mord an Daphne Caruana Galizia war ein Angriff auf die Pressefreiheit in ganz Europa und auf Rechtsstaatlichkeit, auf den Kampf gegen Korruption. Und darüber wollte ich eigentlich auch heute vor allem reden.

Und dann bin ich dieser Debatte hier gefolgt und muss mit Bedauern feststellen, dass in der S&D-Fraktion schon im ersten Wortbeitrag abgelenkt wird und von Polen und Ungarn gesprochen wird und gleichzeitig die Rechte hier hinkommt und sagt: „Es wird nicht genügend über Malta diskutiert, Ihr diskutiert immer nur über Ungarn und Polen.“

Übrigens, Herr Krah – der ist ja jetzt schon weg, der ist ja direkt nach seinem Redebeitrag gegangen: Es gab unzählige Missionen dieses Parlamentes in Malta, es gab unzählige Entschließungen. Wer sich also von der Rechten einfach hier hinstellt und sagt „Also, das ist hier ein Fall, der von der Linken in diesem Parlament nicht bearbeitet werden muss“, der lügt einfach faktisch! Und das ist tatsächlich etwas, was wir hier festhalten müssen: Dieser Kampf zwischen Hin und Her, rechts und links – es geht darum, Pressefreiheit und die Sicherheit von Journalisten in ganz Europa zu verteidigen.

Und deswegen sollten wir einzig und allein die Kommission unterstützen, tatsächlich stärker dafür zu sorgen, dass Journalisten überall geschützt werden. Und wir müssen sie auffordern, noch härter gegen Rechtsstaatlichkeitsverbrechen vorzugehen und endlich den Rechtsstaatsmechanismus ... (Der Präsident entzieht dem Redner das Wort.)

  David Casa (PPE). – Daphne Caruana Galizia, grazzi. Grazzi tal-kuraġġ u d-determinazzjoni tiegħek minkejja t-theddid. Grazzi talli tajt kollox, anke ħajtek, biex Malta ma tibqax immexxija mill-kriminali, u f’isem dan il-Parlament Ewropew, iva, nerġa’ ngħid: grazzi Daphne.

U allura, intom li kkonfoffajtu biex teliminawha, intom li ħallastu l-flus biex teqirduha, ibżgħu! Twerwru! Għax għandkom għaliex! Għaliex se tħallsu għal għemilkom. Għaliex dik il-familja li kissirtu u fridtu, għad tridu tħarsu f’għajnejha qabel tmorru l-ħabs.

Dawn huma n-nies li qed imexxu lil pajjiżna: ħaġa waħda mal-kriminalità. Realtà kerha li tiġi kkonfermata ma’ kull jum li jgħaddi. Kuljum aħbar ġdida. Kuljum skandlu ġdid. Malta għandha bżonn protezzjoni mill-Gvern tagħha stess.

Il-qattiela u l-ħallelin isibu lil ħaddieħor min jiddefendihom, imma mhux lili. Imma mhux lil Roberta.

Nagħlaq b’messaġġ lilkom, lill-Maltin u l-Għawdxin. Taqtgħux qalbkom. Aħna mhux se nieqfu hawn. Se nibqgħu ninsistu li ssir ġustizzja. Hemm nies qalbiena u ta’ kuraġġ li mhumiex jibżgħu: nies fil-pulizija, fil-qrati, ġurnalisti u s-soċjetà ċivili. U fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, mhux inqas, f’dan il-Parlament. Il-Parlament Ewropew hu t-tarka tal-poplu Malti u Għawdxi, bħalma jien jien.

Grazzi Daphne, u Daphne, aħna ma ninsewk qatt!

  Alex Agius Saliba (S&D). – Sur President, iva l-istituzzjonijiet f’Malta qed jaħdmu; qed jaħdmu bla ma jharsu lejn wiċċ ħadd! Għaliex iva, għalina l-akbar priorità hija dik li ssir ġustizzja wara l-qtil ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia; ġustizzja illi bħalissa qed issir quddiem il-Qrati tagħna fejn seba’ persuni jinsabu akkużati b’dan l-omiċidju.

Għalhekk, ma nistax nifhem. Ma nistax nifhem kif il-Parlament Ewropew qed jipprova jgħaddi l-ġudizzju politiku tiegħu fuq proċess illi għadu għaddej quddiem il-Qrati tagħna. Ejja nħallu l-istituzzjonijiet tagħna jaħdmu fil-libertà u mhux inkomplu nagħmlu minn dan il-proċess kummiedja ta’ politika partiġġjana.

Ġustizzja, pereżempju, illi żgur ma nistgħu nsibuha qatt jekk nieħdu l-parir tal-Kap tal-Oppożizzjoni Malti illi jrid jagħti maħfra lil dawk kollha akkużati b’dan id-delitt mingħajr ma jikkonsulta mal-istituzzjonijiet.

Jiena kburi, kburi bil-Gvern Malti. Kburi bil-gvern illi qatt ma kien supperv matul dawn l-aħħar xhur u kompla jimplimenta rakkomandazzjoni waħda wara l-oħra, tal-Kummissjoni Venezja, tal-Greco u tal-Kunsill tal-Ewropa. Rakkomandazzjonijiet illi kienu ilhom snin twal fuq l-ixkaffa.

Saħħaħna s-saltna tad-dritt. Saħħaħna l-ġlieda kontra l-ħasil tal-flus billi saħħaħna l-leġiżlazzjoni u tajna aktar riżorsi lill-Pulizija tagħna. Komplejna ninvestu fil-qrati tagħna billi żidna l-maġistrati, billi żidna l-imħallfin, billi l-Prim Ministru m’għadx fadallu s-setgħa li hu stess jaħtar il-ġudikatura. Appuntajna għall-ewwel darba Kummissarju b’sejħa pubblika, bi proċess trasparenti.

Perfetti m’aħniex u r-riformi għadna qed nagħmluhom, imma foloz m’aħniex lanqas. Foloz, bħal ħafna minn dawk illi tkellmu llum illi qed jippuntaw subgħajhom għall-korruzzjoni u f’pajjiżhom għandhom problemi kbar, ibda minn Weber illi l-partit tiegħu anki fuq daqsxejn ta’.... (il-President interrompa lill-kelliem)

  Irena Joveva (Renew). – Gospod predsednik, že skoraj štiri leta so minila od umora preiskovalne novinarke Daphne Caruana Galizia. Bila je brutalno umorjena zgolj zaradi opravljanja svoje službe v interesu javnega dobrega in zaradi razkrivanja korupcije. Štiri leta, pa se še vedno zdi, da se celoten proces iskanja krivcev in pravice vedno bolj izmika.

Kakšno sporočilo oblasti Malte s tem dajejo preiskovalnim novinarjem po Evropi? Kdaj bomo dosegli epilog te grozne zgodbe in razrešili sistemske napake, ki so nas pripeljale do te točke?

Zaenkrat je pet od sedmih moških, ki so vpleteni v ta umor, poskušalo skleniti dogovor z državo. Edini, ki je bil zaenkrat obsojen, pa je morilec, ki je sam priznal umor in si za sodelovanje s tožilci izpogajal zmanjšano kazen. In zdaj bi se dva še dodatno pogajala za imuniteto s tem, da razkrijeta svoja pretekla kriminalna dejanja. Resno?

Vsi, ki so vpleteni, morajo dobiti pravične kazni. Nihče ne sme biti pomiloščen. Razčistiti pa se mora tudi korupcija in vse politične povezave. Pika.

  Antonio López-Istúriz White (PPE). – Mr President, where are the leaders of the left? Missing in action. There are secondary figures here today speaking about Bulgaria, Hungary and the respect that they have for Malta and the Maltese people. Is this the respect they have?

The highest ranks of the Maltese Labour Party are involved in the highest form of corruption and criminal offences. For how long is the European Socialist Party going to maintain them in their ranks? The former Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister is charged with corruption and money laundering. Five of seven people charged with the murder of Daphne Caruana have requested presidential pardons in exchange for providing information against politicians in government.

Just try to imagine if this was a right or centre-right government. Let me be clear, this is not a critique of Malta but of their government. The Maltese people rightly demand justice and political accountability. We have to be bold and clear and call things for what they are. The socialist government in Malta has allowed, in the heart of Europe, a journalist to be murdered for her work, and her killers and the enablers remain free.

Daphne exemplified this need to shine a light on corruption and demand justice. She paid for it with her life. Her life and work should be a lesson and an example for all of us.

  Josianne Cutajar (S&D) – Sur President, jien Maltija u rrid li ssir ġustizzja. Imma l-ġustizzja trid titħalla tieħu l-kors tagħha biex tkun tassew effettiva u serena f’xogħolha. Għandna quddiemna dibattitu llum, li hu barra minn waqtu u insensittiv għar-realtà attwali. Dan id-dibattitu u r-riżoluzzjoni mitluba f’dan il-mument, ftit jista’ joħroġ ġid minnhom, anzi jistgħu jwasslu għal iżjed firdiet; u dan f’soċjetà li bħalissa qed tfittex li ssaħħaħ is-sens ta’ għaqda u r-rikonċiljazzjoni fi ħdanha.

X’sens jagħmel li, waqt li membru stat f’pajjiżi qed jagħmel l-isforzi ġenwini kollha tiegħu biex jiżgura titjib fl-oqsma ta’ governanza u s-saltna tad-dritt, tinstiga proċess bħal dan? X’sens jagħmel li waqt li Malta dejjem hemm proċeduri ġudizzjarji fil-qrati tagħna, qed jinstemgħu testimonjanzi kruċjali, għaddejjin inkjesti varji b’kunsens sod li jissolvew każijiet maġġuri, tmexxu dibattiti hawnhekk li se jqanqal is-sitwazzjoni aktar milli jirrispetta l-ħidma nnifisha tal-ġustizzja?

Din tal-lum hija tassew azzjoni insensittiva lejn ir-realtajiet ta’ Malta bħalissa, u għalhekk la se tkun konċiljatorja u lanqas utli fl-eżitu tagħha. Ftit aktar minn sena ilu kien diġà sar dibattitu u riżoluzzjoni oħra fil-konfront ta’ Malta. Minn dakinhar intrefgħet responsabbiltà politika, irreżenja prim ministru, tela’ ieħor, ikkommettejna bl-akbar sforzi biex insewwu fejn kien meħtieġ u nżidu r-rigorożità fil-proċessi kollha tal-governanza tal-pajjiż. La darba xorta dan id-dibattitu seħħ barra minn waqtu, nittama li dan il-proċess iwassal jekk xejn, biex jirrikonoxxi u juri fiduċja fl-isforzi li bħalissa verament qegħdin isiru. Ejja nħallu l-istituzzjonijiet jaħdmu. Ejja inħallu..... (il-President interrompa lill-kelliema)

  Vlad Gheorghe (Renew). – Domnule președinte, corupția vulnerabilizează nepermis statele membre și Uniunea în tot ansamblul său. Este o amenințare continuă la adresa statului de drept și a securității, are costuri uriașe, limitează libertatea presei, descurajează avertizările de integritate, adâncește conflictele din societate și alimentează extremismul.

Crima comisă asupra jurnalistei malteze nu poate rămâne nepedepsită.

Rezoluția trebuie să conțină un mesaj ferm împotriva corupției și împotriva criminalității organizate. Presa liberă și jurnaliștii de investigație trebuie să știe că sunt sprijiniți și protejați. Cooperarea judiciară este esențială, Parchetul European trebuie să înceapă urgent activitatea, în ciuda celor care încă i se opun.

Corupția este o piedică în calea progresului și prosperității. Ca jurist român, știu, din păcate, asta prea bine. Vă cer să fim uniți în fața corupților care încalcă drepturile fundamentale și valorile familiei europene. Putem și trebuie să eliminăm corupția din Europa pentru a fi puternici împreună.

  Isabel Wiseler-Lima (PPE). – Monsieur le Président, un journalisme indépendant, un journalisme d’investigation qui nous apporte les faits, la vérité, est un journalisme indispensable. Aucune démocratie ne peut survivre sans que la vérité soit connue. La vérité est l’arme de la justice. Nous ne pouvons nous passer de vérité.

Il faut s’imprégner du caractère de Daphné Caruana Galizia, de cette soif qu’elle avait de divulguer la vérité à tout prix, ce qu’elle a payé de sa vie. Il faut aussi prendre conscience de la personnalité de ces puissants, de ces criminels, qui ont commis et commandité un crime odieux. Il est inconcevable que des groupes au centre de l’échiquier politique européen, malgré les révélations récentes à Malte, aient refusé d’en débattre ici et maintenant.

Aujourd’hui est le jour où il convient d’évoquer Daphne Caruana Galizia dans cette plénière. Dommage que cela n’ait pas été une évidence pour tous dans cette assemblée! Les Maltais méritent mieux, les Européens méritent mieux.

Nous devons honorer, soutenir et mieux protéger nos journalistes d’investigation. Nous ne pouvons admettre qu’ils soient si exposés, et nous ne pouvons surtout pas admettre que nos propres lois soient utilisées pour les faire taire. Ils sont de plus en plus nombreux à être impliqués dans des procès sans consistance, le but étant simplement de les précipiter dans la faillite personnelle. C’était aussi le cas de Daphne.

Créer un cadre juridique qui empêche cela et protège mieux nos journalistes est absolument nécessaire pour eux et pour nos démocraties. Nous le devons à Daphne et à tous ceux qui se sacrifient.

  Antonio Tajani (PPE). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, l'omicidio di Daphne Caruana Galizia non è stato soltanto una ferita inferta al popolo maltese, è stata una ferita inferta a tutta l'Europa. E questo che stiamo svolgendo oggi è un dibattito non per ricordare, ma per andare avanti. Perché quando i mandanti dell'omicidio sedevano nel palazzo del governo socialista a Malta, vuol dire che c'è qualche cosa di ben più grave, che va ben al di là del semplice omicidio: c'era un complotto politico per uccidere una giornalista che stava scoprendo qualcosa che non doveva scoprire, che il governo socialista non voleva che si scoprisse! Ecco perché dobbiamo andare avanti, ecco perché è importante discutere adesso.

E io credo che la famiglia del partito socialista debba anche farsi un esame di coscienza quando non vuole affrontare questi problemi: la difesa dello Stato di diritto è uguale in tutta Europa e in tutto il mondo. Non esistono Stati di diritti più belli e Stati di diritti meno belli, bisogna sempre e comunque difendere i valori nei quali noi crediamo.

Ecco perché il Parlamento europeo – è un impegno che presi da Presidente – non deve lasciare la presa sulla vicenda di Daphne Caruana Galizia. Vogliamo sapere la verità! Non dobbiamo mettere la testa sotto la sabbia: la politica dello struzzo non paga. Dobbiamo anzi incentivare l'approvazione della direttiva anti-SLAPP. Dobbiamo aiutare Europol a poter fare ancora di più, perché non accada mai più in Europa che un governo sia complice dell'omicidio di un giornalista.

  Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the Commission. – Mr President, the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia has been a wake-up call for Malta to address the rule of law concerns and engage in reforms. Malta has rolled out important reforms and it is key that it continues to consolidate them.

Many of you here repeated today that murders of journalists are unacceptable and intolerable in Europe today. And I agree with those who said here that it is not the matter for party politics that we are speaking here about the universal value, which is freedom of press and freedom of speech and safety of journalists who work for the society.

Whenever I read new revelations about the fact that Daphne Caruana Galizia was right in her work, I realise that she is still working for us now and she is still working for the truth. For us at EU level, we have already taken steps to improve the situation of journalists and the media. More specifically, we are currently working on two important initiatives.

I have already mentioned, the first one. It’s the recommendation to Member States on the safety of journalists. I haven’t spoken here today about the other initiative, which concerns the fight against abusive litigation against journalists and rights defenders, so-called ‘strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP)’ cases. And again Daphne Caruana Galizia is a stark reminder of this practice. She had 47 such lawsuits pending against her in Malta and abroad at the moment of her assassination. Journalists should spend their time by doing their investigative work and informing citizens by being the watchdogs of our democracies, not by fighting ingenious claims.

We see the paradoxical situation as if the justice system turns against the freedom of speech. This is something we have to stop. Recent revelations as regards the investigation over the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia are important, but are not the end of this sad story. Many questions remain still unanswered. All those responsible must be brought to justice and the whole truth must be fully repealed. Also the public inquiry must continue unhindered.

The Commission is aware that a number of journalistic stories which she broke or worked on have led to criminal investigations, some of which have led to high-profile arrests. It underlines the critical importance of all Maltese and other journalists who continue to hold those in power to account. It also shows the importance of the work of all those organisations which support them.

I also salute those Members of the European Parliament who continue to keep media freedom and pluralism and the safety of journalists high on the EU’s agenda, and pledge the Commission’s full support in this endeavour. I would like to thank you again for the cooperation. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to defend the rule of law and to put bricks for the strengthening of our democracies.

  Der Präsident. – Die Aussprache ist damit geschlossen.

Die Abstimmung findet im Rahmen der nächsten Tagung statt.