Matthew Caruana Galizia: ‘I Believe We’re On The Right Track As A Country But Process Remains Fraught’
Matthew Caruana Galizia has expressed cautious optimism about the current Maltese government, stating he believes that “we’re on the right track”.
“Malta’s government is generally receptive to ideas regarding the strengthening of investigative journalism and the protection of journalists, which is a change,” Caruana Galizia, son of assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, said when interviewed on Jon Mallia’s podcast Il-Podcast ta’ Jon.
“I believe we’re on the right track and heading in the right direction but as with everything, especially in Malta, it’s a very fragile and very fraught process.”
“Although we’re getting there, our democracy isn’t yet strong enough to take these things for granted. No democracy is, but least of all Malta and some other countries so we really need to guide the process.”
The full interview is currently available to Patreon subscribers of Jon Mallia’s podcast and will be published for the general public on Thursday.
Caruana Galizia is director of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, a press freedom organisation which is currently campaigning for the European Commission to issue a directive to protect journalists from vexatious SLAPP lawsuits.
Malta is also working on an anti-SLAPP bill and Prime Minister Robert Abela has confirmed he is consulting with the Caruana Galizia family over it.
“We’ve made a huge amount of progress in the past three years,” Caruana Galizia said of the foundation’s work. “We started out with no one in the European Commission listening to us, and now they’re listening to us, taking our advice on board and coming up with constructive proposals.”
“We’re also working with individual governments, including Malta’s, advising them on how best to protect journalists from this kind of harassment.”
Throughout the interview, Caruana Galizia said he is generally optimistic on Malta’s future prospects, at one point stating that “we’re weeding out and getting rid of the parts of the governing party that are still loyal to Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi”.
“Look at what a small group of people, fewer than ten, it took to destroy the country,” he said. “No one but a small group of people wanted our power station and hospitals to be privatised, companies in Panama, bank accounts in Dubai, and the sale of passports…”
“If those ten people can do so much damage, 20,30 or 50 people can undo the damage and make sure it never happens again.”
Cover photo: Left: Prime Minister Robert Abela, Right: Matthew Caruana Galizia
Do you share Matthew Caruana Galizia’s optimism?
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