A previous proposal for a debate had been blocked by the Socialist and Democrats Group, the European political group which the Labour Party forms part of.

However, the European People’s Party – backed by the Greens – proposed a fresh debate with the title: “Commission statement on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta”.

Besides the EPP and the Greens, this proposal was backed by Renew, ECR, and GUE/NGL.

The S&D proposed another title: “Commission and Council statements on the recent developments on the ONGOING court case concerning the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta” but it failed to win support.

A debate will now be held on Thursday, after which political groups will convene to write a resolution on the debate, with a final vote set to take place in April.

Labour’s MEPs Alex Agius Saliba, Cyrus Engerer and Josianne Cutajar have condemned the attempts at holding a debate, warning it will only damage Malta at a critical point in the court proceedings against the people charged with Caruana Galizia’s murder.

Agius Saliba said the EPP’s attempt at “punching down” on Malta will take place “over our dead bodies”, drawing criticism from Caruana Galizia’s family.

This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

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