Members of the European Parliament have adopted a resolution today on the latest developments regarding the investigations into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta. MEPs are especially concerned about widespread corruption, money laundering, persistent threats to the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights, including freedom of the media, the independence of the police and judiciary, and the freedom of peaceful assembly in the country. Renew Europe has insisted on calling on the new Commission to enter into dialogue with the Maltese Government in the context of the Rule of Law Framework without further undue delay. Our Group will fully support Commission Vice-President Jourová and Commissioner Reynders in their efforts to protect the rule of law in Malta, while working on a new interinstitutional pact for an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental right to align with and complement existing mechanisms, as we have proposed in the previous legislature.
Sophie in 't Veld MEP, Chair of the Rule of Law Monitoring Group, who also led Parliament's latest fact finding mission to Malta said during the Plenary debate:
"I'm deeply concerned by the lack of urgency that I sense in particular in the Council, and to a lesser degree in the Commission, to reproach the Maltese government for the health of the democratic rule of law in Malta, and in the European Union as a whole. Malta is a part of Europe, what affects Malta, affects Europe. It is therefore of paramount importance that the investigations into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia continue without undue interference and that justice is served. The question is, in the end, will we be able to look into the eyes of the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia and say that we have done everything in our power to safeguard the integrity of the murder investigation and help justice to emerge."
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