European Parliament President Antonio Tajani would not be drawn into a comment after it emerged that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was selling passports in Hong Kong on the day the rule of law in Malta was debated at the EP in Strasbourg, and the press room was named after assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

“It is not my job,” Tajani said. “Muscat is not under my control, the problem right now is to know who the killers are, and who sent them.”

Pressed further as to whether this behaviour was symptomatic to the allegations that the rule of law in Malta had collapsed, Tajani once again proved reluctant to comment.

“We need to respect the rule of law, but we are not against or in favour of the government, our position is in favour of freedom, journalists, and who the killers are.”

Tajani was asked by other members of the press regarding today’s debate, but once again did not comment specifically on the debate and pointed to the importance of finding justice for Caruana Galicia’s murder.

With regards to the PANA committee’s findings, he said that they will study the situation further.

On the sale of passports, which was heavily featured in today’s debate, Tajani would once again not comment, instead telling the journalists that “this was what the debate is for.”