A few hours before the funeral of slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the European Commission has warned democracy is at stake in Malta and the eyes of Europe are now on the Maltese authorities. 

“We want those directly and indirectly responsible for this horrible murder to be brought to justice. And we want the investigations to run their full course, so that any other related wrong-doings that may emerge can also be prosecuted and potential structural problems be resolved,” the EC’s First Vice President Frans Timmermans wrote.

He warned democracy was at stake in a county where the Prime Minister, his wife and other senior figures in government and opposition were pursuing journalists for libel over allegations of corruption and international money laundering. 

“We insist that the Maltese authorities leave no stone unturned to make sure that this atrocious, barbarous assassination does not lead to the situation that the perpetrators apparently want to achieve: that no-one dares ask pertinent questions and no journalist dares investigate the powers that be,” Timmermans said. 

In a separate statement, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said he condemns Caruana Galizia’s assassination in the strongest possible terms. 

“The right of a journalist to investigate, ask uncomfortable questions and report effectively, is at the heart of our values and needs to be guaranteed at all times,” he said.

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, who is currently in Malta to attend Caruana Galizia’s funeral, once again called for an international investigation into the journalist’s murder. 

The European Commission has joined the Maltese government in flying its flags at half-mast in honour of Daphne Caruana Galizia. 

In a tweet, PN MP and former leader Simon Busuttil questioned whether Timmermans finds it acceptable that a minister’s husband is investigating Caruana Galizia’s assassination -a reference to deputy police commissioner Silvio Valletta, who is married to Gozo minister Justyne Caruana.

READ NEXT: European Parliament Holds Minute Of Silence For Daphne Caruana Galizia

Tim Diacono

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]