MEP Monica Mocovei spoke some strong words on her visit to Malta today, urging the Maltese to not sit on their laurels but instead rally to stop political corruption. The MEP - a former civil society activist and Romanian justice minister - has been credited for a wide range of anti-corruption reforms.
The MEP, who addressed a Civil Society Network public event held at Europe House yesterday, spoke passionately about the importance of defending investigative journalists, stating that they are brave enough to do what we should all do: "We see investigative journalists taking this on and we do nothing. So now, we need to defend them.
"Investigative journalists are the most important of journalists; they reveal corruption of the highest powers in the land and they take the greatest risks for all of us."
Mocovei began her speech saying that she was not pleased why she found herself in Malta, stating that Romania, her home country had gone through a similar situation. She spoke at length about her own experiences battling corruption as an activist and as a minister in her own country, where she called on her people to actively protest and fight against corruption.
"In Romania we took to the streets last year and we took to the streets this year," she explained, adding that last year 600,000 Hungarians protested on the streets and the government had no choice but to give in.
Speaking directly about assassinated Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Mocovei said that maybe if the investigative journalist had not been alone, she would not have died. "The government fears people. We should not be afraid of losing our jobs, money or any advantages. If you are afraid you will lose your very country."
The Romanian MEP said she believes that all people want justice and although it may seem that corruption is not too bad, the people need to understand that corruption is simply money being taken out of their pockets. "If the people do not speak out, this is what politicians want, as it makes it easy for them," she said.
When questioned by this newsroom about her personal thoughts on the current situation in Malta, Mocovei shook her head in disbelief when she was told that former politicians were appointed to the Bench. "You simply can't have former politicians now being judges because it is a completely independent institution," she said.
David Casa takes an uncompromising dig at internal PN
MEP David Casa yesterday strongly criticised his own party. When asking Mocovei for her advice on how to stop "black politics", Casa said: "I am really worried about when she was murdered. After the election it was not just the government who had threatened her, even my own party abandoned her and pointed fingers at her because of her criticism. The black side of politics does not exist just in the Labour Party, it exists in all parties. How do we work hard to make sure we stop them and to continue what she started?"
Daphne Caruana Galizia had strongly criticised new Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia during his post-electoral leadership bid, and Delia filed numerous libel cases against the journalist.
Among the audience were MEPs Roberta Metsola and Francis Zammit Dimech as well as MPs Karol Aquilina, Jason Azzopardi, Simon Busuttil and departing PN Secretary General Rosette Thake.
No Labour Party MPs were present.