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Labour MEP ahead of Daphne debate: ‘European Parliament cannot act as a court’
‘This is not the time to have this debate’ – Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba
24 March 2021, 6:09pm
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
1 min read
Flowers, candles and messages demanding justice were placed at the foot of the Great Siege monument
Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba is steeling himself for a debate tomorrow Thursday at 2pm in the European Parliament that will discuss the latest developments in the Caruana Galizia assassination in Malta.
Agius Saliba accused the European People’s Party group of MEPs, including Nationalist MEPs David Casa and Roberta Metsola, of politicising the events unfolding in Malta by forcing through the EP debate.
“This is not the time to have this debate,” Agius Saliba said. “My message to the MEPs in meetings I had today, is that we’re not refusing to discuss our institutions, but that this is not the time for this debate at a moment where we have investigators and police carrying out investigations at such a sensitive stage.”
Agius Saliba said the EPP’s actions were motivated politically but said Labour MEPs wanted justice to be done in the Caruana Galizia assassination.
“We will tell MEPs that Malta took the steps to enact the reforms requested by the Venice Commission which had been ignored for decades by previous Nationalist administrations.
“We will say that the EP cannot act as a court of law to pass judgement on Malta at such a sensitive stage: justice must be done by our institutions, especially in the weeks before a Moneyval assessment could determine so many jobs we are dependent on in Malta.”
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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