Nine years after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, Europe must finally address Malta’s culture of impunity
Much of the corruption exposed by this brave woman remains unpunished. Brussels must carry on her work and demand reform
TL;DR
- Nine years after investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination by car bomb, those who carried out the killing are convicted, but no one has been convicted of commissioning her murder.
- Yorgen Fenech, a prominent businessman, was acquitted of complicity in the assassination, though the trial revealed his knowledge of the plan and payments to the middleman.
- The Maltese state created a culture of impunity, enabling the murder, according to an independent public inquiry, yet most recommendations for reform remain unimplemented.
- Impunity in Malta is a European problem because a Maltese business license allows operations across the EU, and weak enforcement there creates opportunities throughout the union.
- The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Pace) is scrutinizing Malta's compliance with rule of law and press freedom standards, with a new report focusing on the unfinished implementation of recommendations from the public inquiry.
- Europe owes it to Daphne Caruana Galizia and her family to address the unpunished corruption and lack of accountability in Malta, which is also a matter of European self-interest.
- The jury's verdict regarding Fenech's criminal responsibility must be respected but should not end the pursuit of those who commissioned the murder or the fight against corruption.