Repubblika has expressed full solidarity with Maltese journalists who are threatened by the government – which has refused to enact reforms put forward by the public inquiry into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Instead of safeguarding freedom of expression, they said, the government is making life harder for journalists. In Parliament, it rejected Opposition motions and instead proposed legal changes that would further endanger journalists and embrace those who would seek to muzzle any free press.
The Opposition’s amendments, penned in consultation with journalists, to the EU’s anti-SLAPP directive could have been a step forward. The government rejected them without even consulting on them, in service of those that wish to suppress the truth, Repubblika said.
Prime Minister Robert Abela blamed this stalling on “resistance” to protecting journalists, while for Repubblika it is consultation that comes with a democracy. This should have involved the publication of a White Paper open to public discussion, but that never saw the light of day.
The EU has repeatedly urged Malta to establish a formal consultation framework, but the government refuses. Repubblika insists on meaningful consultation, legal reforms aligned with the public inquiry, and an end to government intimidation of journalists.
You can read more about yesterday’s Parliamentary session here.
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