Aditus raises concerns with EU over ‘rapidly degenerating rule of law’ in Malta

Aditus Foundation has raised concerns with various EU institutions about the 'serious abuses of political, executive and administrative power'

Protestors outside parliament call for Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's resignation
Protestors outside parliament call for Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's resignation

The human rights NGO Aditus Foundation has sent an open letter to various institutions within the European Union concerning the “rapidly degenerating rule of law standards following the developments over the past few days”.

In the letter, which was sent to the President of the European Council, Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the President of the European Parliament and the President of the European Commission, the NGO said Malta’s governing institutions were largely failing to fulfil their roles in preventing and addressing “serious abuses of political, executive and administrative power.”

“It is shameful that the entities entrusted by the nation to ensure justice, fairness, efficiency and democratic process – the public service, the judiciary, administrative tribunals, the police and armed forces, and state agencies – are consistently used as tools in the hands of the ruling party of the day,” Aditus director Neil Falzon said.

On Thursday, the European Parliament confirmed the decision to send an urgent mission to Malta next week and to hold a debate on the political situation in Malta this December.

“This request is also being backed by the Socialists, Muscat’s own political party in Europe," Nationalist MEP David Casa wrote on Facebook on Thursday.

The NGO said the brutal assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and its aftermath further stressed the climate of impunity and lack of accountability within the highest levels of government.

“Developments unfolding in recent weeks are shocking the nation not only in terms of their revelations but, importantly, about how they are being handled by the very institutions mandated to protect the nation. This is resulting in a breakdown in the people’s confidence in state institutions and in rising tensions and civil unrest,” the NGO said. 

Aditus stressed that it was not purely internal issues which are currently failing, but that Malta was politically and legally bound to conduct its internal affairs in a “manner that is consistent and in conformity with the European Union Treaties, legislation and core values.”

It said that it was the EU’s respective institutions’ responsibility to “at a minimum” assess the current national situation with “a view to ensuring a manner of governance that effectively compares with Malta’s status as a European Union Member State.”    

The NGO said that in view of the worsening situation in Malta, it urged the European Union to make the Maltese authirities aware of their obligations to abide by European values, enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, to which Malta has committed itself.          

“We also invite you to formally raise these issues within your respective institutions for them to be considered in earnest and, where necessary, for decisions, resolutions and courses of action to be swiftly adopted either in follow up to the above-mentioned resolutions and recommendations or as new initiatives. We remain at your disposal should you wish to discuss these matters further with us or should you require further information,” Falzon said.