Members of the European Parliament did not hold back from criticising the Maltese government's lack of implemented reforms to protect journalists and end the culture of impunity that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia eight years ago. While Maltese MEPs mostly toed party lines, participating non-Maltese MEPs all honoured her memory and slammed Maltese authorities' lack of effective reforms to combat corruption and impunity since her assassination.

Slovakian MEP Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová told the House that "we need effective reforms to end climate of impunity that led to her assassination." The Renew Europe MEP, who spoke right after PL MEP Alex Agius Saliba, added that this debate - contrary to his claims - is being held in solidarity with the Maltese people.

"There are European voices who stand strongly and firmly by your side. It is time for your local decision-makers to step up," said the Slovakian official.

Ana Miguel Pedro of the Christian Democrats (EPP) lamented that eight years have passed since Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated for her work, "eight years of promises, struggles, and illusions." The Portuguese representative deplored that "the same realities" still confront MEPs this year on the rule of law in Malta and the themes surrounding Caruana Galizia's murder, as the ones present every year whenever this annual debate is held.

She noted that "in Malta, justice is still delayed" and that the rule of law continues to erode as this system "remains captured by those in power." She continued that the culture of impunity that led to the journalist's killing "still governs the country" and that the European Commission's most recent rule of law report flags "no real progress on convictions, no effective protection for journalists," and hints towards a "blocked" media reform in Malta as well.

"Justice for Daphne means more than arrests - it means justice against those she exposed and ending the impunity that killed her," Portuguese MEP Pedro said, "Anything less is complicity. When a journalist is silenced, society is blinded. When impunity prevails, democracy decays."

Luxembourgish MEP Isabel Wiseler-Lima, also from the EPP, also commented on the lack of progress to address the roots that revealed themselves with Caruana Galizia's car bombing. She said that every year this debate is conducted proceeds from the same points of departure, and that the same conclusions are drawn every year, that "those responsible continue to enjoy impunity."

Isabel Wiseler-Lima stated that the Maltese government must shoulder responsibility, remarking that the "slow pace" at which Maltese authorities are acting could be seen as almost provocative to those seeking justice and improved rule of law. Referencing Malta's media reform in the works, which is currently at public consultation stage, MEP Wiseler-Lima said she hopes that this reform is well-intentioned, and not just another manoeuvre orchestrated by the Ministry for Justice.

Amongst the points brought up during this European Parliament debate were repeated criticisms that many recommendations brought before the Maltese government to protect journalists and combat corruption and the culture of impunity have been on the shelf for far too long; that after eight years, the Caruana Galizia family still awaits complete justice; that after eight years, the alleged mastermind behind her assassination was released on bail earlier this year; and that "there is still a climate of corruption, violence, and impunity that lingers" in Malta.

Another salient mentioned throughout this debate was a common condemnation against the discarding of flowers from Daphne Caruana Galizia's memorial, on the evening of her assassination anniversary last week, by a government worker from the Office of the Prime Minister - Neville Gafà.

"How petty do you have to be to throw those flowers in the bin?" asked German Greens MEP Daniel Freund.

Considering that Gafà is still employed by the Office of the Prime Minister, some observers, such as Slovenian MEP Irena Joveva, have perceived that Gafà was acting on government orders when he removed flowers and wreaths from the memorial last Thursday.

The sole non-Maltese S&D MEP to speak in this debate, Portugal's Marta Temido, called for Malta to introduce necessary reforms to "really enforce the rule of law" and protect journalism as a pillar of democracy, "at whatever cost." She also expressed her sympathies towards the Caruana Galizia family and observed that the "intellectual organisers" behind Daphne's assassination have still not yet been imprisoned.

PL MEPs says debate is an attack against Malta, MEP Bajada steers clear of political jabs

If it weren't for Maltese PL MEPs Alex Agius Saliba and Daniel Attard, this European Parliament debate would have been an entirely one-sided discussion to honour Daphne Caruana Galizia's memory, call for Maltese authorities to step up to better safeguard journalists and the rule of law, and all the points mentioned prior.

S&D Vice-President Alex Agius Saliba opened his intervention by quoting Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti thanking Justice Minister Jonathan Attard for listening to his suggestions to strengthen Maltese law courts, and asked the Chamber: "Why are we attacking Malta once again?"

Agius Saliba said that even the debate's title itself - "Delayed justice and rule of law backsliding in Malta, eight years after Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination" - had an implied jab towards Malta in the words "delayed justice." The Labour Party Deputy Leader disagreed that Caruana Galizia's case has remnants of delayed justice, stating that the courts have been allowed to function independently throughout and that there is just one pending trial related to her case.

"What is the European Parliament proposing? Should our Prime Minister hasten the court process? No, you would condemn that," Agius Saliba remarked.

He continued that the Maltese judiciary is being supported every month through new legislation and that the real problem here is the Nationalist Party in Opposition. As if this was relevant to what was being discussed, Agius Saliba noted that the PN opposed having party financing laws and failed to publish their party accounts for years.

At a later point, Agius Saliba interjected Spain's Javier Zarzalejos - who aligns with the EPP - after he criticised the Maltese judicial system's efficiency to hear Caruana Galizia's cases. Zarzalejos had also observed that Malta has only adopted four out of 32 recommendations issued by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), and that when judges act against corruption, eight years after Caruana Galizia's murder, "they are being condemned of political terrorism."

PL MEP Daniel Attard stated that this debate on Tuesday was being held to tarnish Malta's name. He criticised the shamelessness used by certain unnamed people to use a journalist's assassination for political gains.

Attard commented that one doesn't need to be an expert to observe legal advances in Malta. He added that to say Malta is backsliding is "pure deceit."

Attard also referenced the Nationalist Party during his speech, noting that PN MEPs "are working against Malta in this Parliament."

His comments were flagged by a listening official who stated that Malta's democratic backsliding is on record by Transparency International - the most reputable index out there - in which Malta dropped five places since just 2023, "a steep decline."

Attard rebuked this response, noting that he was speaking facts, not perception, and that "we are not going to take lessons from a Parliament that refuses to utter the word 'genocide'," referencing the conflict in Gaza, Palestine.

In response to the verbal condemnations against the PN and its politicians, Sweden's Tomas Tobé, from the EPP, later shared a message for the Maltese PL MEPs. Tobé told them that they should be proud of their PN counterparts, especially since one of them three is the President of the European Parliament.

Tobé added that Daphne Caruana Galizia and her family deserve answers that the Maltese State is sweeping under the carpet and that "the current Maltese government must understand that belonging in the EU means upholding its core values of democracy and rule of law." He was one of several speakers to comment that despite some legal and judicial reforms, "impunity hasn't ended" and that such reforms are clearly not enough.

The remaining PL MEP, Thomas Bajada, did not follow his colleagues' political speak. Instead, he highlighted Sigfrido Ranucci's car bombing last week and the 272 journalists who have lost their lives reporting in Gaza. He appealed for MEPs to give hope and not get lost in piques and confrontations to combat the truth being "under threat everywhere."

PN MEPs call out government shortcomings, condemn defending of the 'indefensible'

PN MEPs David Casa and Peter Agius condemned PL MEPs for "defending the indefensible," as well as the Maltese government for claiming that new Opposition leader Alex Borg travelled to Brussels, Belgium this week to orchestrate this debate as a "macabre betrayal" against the country - a claim they adamantly denied.

"They pretend to say these things to defend Malta - when in fact they are only defending the corruption and abuse of power of certain Maltese," Peter Agius said.

David Casa told the European Parliament that many of the recommendations that emerged from the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry still have not been implemented and that in eight years, not a single conviction has been carried out in relation to the corruption the assassinated journalist exposed.

He thanked the European Parliament for honouring Caruana Galizia's memory. Casa added that while it would be incorrect to say that nothing has changed in eight years, "a lot more must be done."