Chairman of the V18 Foundation Jason Micallef has called for a national dialogue on mitigating anger exposed on public forums, and for society to have a “moment of reflection” on the written hate speech often found on social media.

“I sincerely believe there should be a national dialogue on how to control this kind of anger especially in our writing. I absolutely believe it is causing a lot of damage, especially to vulnerable people,” he said in lengthy comments to The Malta Independent.  Micallef also said he believes that freedom of expression is absolute, and that no parameters should be imposed on where freedom of expression starts and stops.

Micallef had began to receive a tirade of condemnation from local and foreign artists, politicians and those linked with the EU’s capital of culture both internationally and locally after he had ridiculed the last words of a journalist who was blown up in her car last October, Daphne Caruana Galizia. The last line written by Caruana Galizia before her life was violently snuffed out was “there are crooks everywhere you look now, the situation is desperate.”

In March of this year, amid ongoing calls from anti-corruption protestors and members of civil society for government to be held accountable for the death of a journalist, Micallef used Caruana Galizia’s last words alongside an image of droves of people enjoying St Patrick’s Day celebrations, where he wrote: “The situation is desperate. There [are] happy people everywhere you look.”

As the criticism and anger mounted against Micallef for making such comments, he continued to defend them, standing by his right to express himself.

Since then, local and international artists, and famous writers such as Ewan McGregor hailing from PEN International condemned Micallef for his commentary, criticising him for failing to champion European values.

They had specifically called out his harsh opposition of banners hung around Valletta calling for justice for the murder of Caruana Galizia, where Micallef repeatedly ordered their removal.

They also specifically called out his repeated offensive remarks against Caruana Galizia and her supporters on social media.

Most recently, eight past and future representatives of the European Capital of Culture have called out Micallef for ridiculing European Values.

The members who signed the statement are Nadja Grizzo and Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt from Essen/RUHR 2010, Tamás Szalay from Pécs 2010, Janina Strötgen and Andreas Wagner from Esch 2022, Yves Vasseur from Mons 2015, and Kelly Diapouli and Maria Philippi from Eleusis 2021.

When asked about this most recent statement by those linked with the European Capital of Culture, Micallef invoked the right to free speech saying:

“My response is based on two points: everybody has the right to criticise and express themselves from the Prime Minister down to anybody, including myself. It is how a democratic society works and it pleases me to see that it is working perfectly.

“The second point is that my biggest focus and it would have me worry if the social, cultural and economic regeneration that the V18 was responsible for over the past five years was not delivered. Today, there is almost absolute support that what is happening in Valletta is special; the Valletta of five years ago is unrecognisable in a positive way. There is new life, we gave new life, and a lot of people and artists appreciate this as we created more opportunities locally and internationally.”

Acknowledging the right to criticise but pressing Micallef on what he feels about the content of the criticism, about whether it is possible that the volume of people, exceeding 100, who have taken issue with the nature of his remarks over the past few months are on the wrong side, he replied:

“What I think is that there should never be parameters of where freedom of expression begins and ends. I defend the right for those to criticise me harshly, but I also defend my right to express and defend myself.

“To place parameters and impose on who has a right to speak would contradict the famous freedom of expression, which should be for all.”

Turning to another recent controversy, Micallef, who was unprovoked in this particular instance, wrote on outspoken artist Mario Vella of Brikkuni’s Facebook page to call him a hypocrite for performing at Earth Garden festival when V18 had awarded funding to the popular festival while Vella hard harshly criticised the Foundation and urged artists not to take part. Asked about this, Micallef said:

“There are too many personal agendas, including by certain journalists. I am amazed to see so many personal insults against me on Vella’s page, which do not suit him as an artist or suit anybody who are writing these things on social media.

“For journalists it’s ok for him to insult me in the harshest way on Facebook. My comment was this, if you have principles, and you systematically attack V18 calling by calling it trash, I have the right to defend workers and the governing board of the Foundation. More than that, for a person to call V18 trash, and urge artists not to take part, and be the first person to go to Earth Garden which has received considerable funds from V18 this is hypocritical. I felt it was right to make this point in the interest of v18, of workers and the foundation who have repeatedly been insulted by Vella.”

It must be noted that Brikkuni have played that particular festival numerous times, and the event had reached success long before the V18 Foundation was set up.

Following up on Micallef’s remarks about how journalists allow Vella, a private person, to insult and criticise as he wishes whereas he, a public person, received condemnation for reciprocating, he was asked whether he draws a distinction between public officials who are paid by tax payers and private people. Many argue that when you are in public life and have the strength of the State machine behind you there are things to be considered when speaking publically.