The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation was formally awarded this year's European Parliament's Citizen's Prize award for Malta.

In a ceremony at Europe House on Friday, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, in a video message for the occasion, said:

"Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed because she was not afraid to expose corruption. We want those responsible for this criminal act, those who allowed it all to be carried out, and those who tried to cover it up, to face justice. We need to have European and national systems to prevent what happened to Daphne from ever happening again, in Malta or anywhere else. I cannot think of a more deserving cause than this one to receive the European Citizen's Prize: citizenship of values, of right, of the search for the truth - values that give identity."

"The European Citizen’s Prize recognises those who distinguish themselves in promoting the fundamental values of the European Union,” said MEP David Casa, who nominated this year’s winners. “I cannot think of another organisation whose ethos is more rooted in this aim than the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation. Its work has led to important victories for human rights, the protection of journalists, and access to information. It has displayed its commitment to democracy and the rule of law in its fight for a public inquiry, in its efforts to build capacity among activists and journalists, and in all its other public interest initiatives since. The Daphne Foundation’s commitment is one thoroughly deserving of the European Parliament’s Citizen Prize."

The Director of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation Matthew Caruana Galizia, who received the Prize on behalf of the Foundation, paid tribute to all its supporters.

“We’ll get justice for my mother and her investigations thanks to the efforts of thousands of people and organisations who protest, support this campaign and take action. We accept this prize on behalf of all of you,” Mr Caruana Galizia said.

Speaking shortly after the trial verdict in which the two men accused if Daphne Caruana Galizia admitted to the assassination and were sentenced to 40 years in prison, in an emotional speech, the son of the journalist assassinated with a car bomb in 2017 said:  

“It should really have been my mother receiving this Prize. What we have achieved will never get close to what my mother achieved in her lifetime. She really changed our country for the better, her entire life demonstrates that, not just her death. I’m extremely proud of what we managed to do, it shows what a small group of people who are highly motivated can do with the little resources that they have”.

The Head of the European Parliament Office in Malta Mario Sammut paid tribute to the five organizations that were proposed by the local jury for the European Parliament Chancellory's evaluation.
"All of them, in different ways, have certainly given a precious contribution towards the values of solidarity and cooperation, which the European Union holds very dear. All of them deserve our esteem and appreciation".

These were:

• The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation – a project for justice and European fundamental values;
• The Soup Kitchen OFM – a food security and social project by the Franciscan Friars;
• The Coast is Clear – an environmental project by a team of dedicated volunteers;
• The Mosaic Monumental – a collaborative community project; and
• La Semana Santa de España – a Maltese-Spanish culture project by Soċjetà Santa Marija of the village of Mqabba.

Sammut also noted that he European Parliament has named its Journalism Prize for Daphne Caruana Galizia. The winner of the second edition of this prize will be named and awarded in Strasbourg next week. The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism rewards on a yearly basis outstanding journalism that promotes or defends the core principles and values of the European Union such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights. Values that are also common to the Foundation and to the Citizen’s Prize as well, he said.

Today’s Citizen's Prize award ceremony in Malta will be followed by an EU-wide ceremony in Brussels for citizens recognised with this award in the different Member States on the 8th of November 2022 at the European Parliament.

Other recent winners of this award in Malta include Id-Dar tal-Providenza, the Malta Lockdown Festival, and Bjorn Formosa of ALS Malta.