Repubblika reiterates its solidarity with the Maltese Institute of Journalists and all journalists working in Malta under threats from the Maltese authorities, the same threats that a public inquiry found the government responsible for the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
It is truly unacceptable that in order to instill fear through threats to journalists, instead of implementing the recommendations of the public inquiry to protect freedom of speech, the government is threatening to make it more difficult to practice journalism in Malta. Yesterday in Parliament, while rejecting constructive proposals from the Opposition, the government threatened to increase the legal risks and tools in the hands of those who want to intimidate journalists into hiding the truth.
The amendments submitted by the Opposition yesterday to the Legal Notice introducing a minimal version of the European anti-SLAPP directive were made after effective consultation with the representatives of journalists. Those amendments meant a good start for much-needed reforms.
The government’s opposing vote was made without any consultation with anyone. The only interest that the government is protecting with its actions is the interest of those who want to hide the truth from the people. The only interest that the government is protecting is its own interest.
In the evening, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that in 2023 the government wanted to make changes to the law to, according to him, protect journalists. He blamed the fact that this change to the law was never made in what he called “the usual resistance” because on the day he wanted to change the law, a request was made to him for effective consultation on the amendments to the law.
For a sector to request consultation on changes to the law that affect them is not “usual resistance”. It is a normal part of a functioning democracy, where there is effective dialogue on changes to the law with the public, civil society, and anyone who is interested.
In fact, the government promised a White Paper on that day for a public discussion. To date, the White Paper has not yet appeared.
The annual report on the rule of law produced by the European Commission has reminded the government, year after year, that it needs to create a formal framework for effective consultation on changes to the law. So far, the government has refused to do so.
The changes to the law that the government proposed in 2023 do not even begin to implement the changes recommended by the public inquiry following the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. The anti-SLAPP legal notice as it stands would not even begin to protect Daphne Caruana Galizia from the systematic abuse she suffered until the day she was murdered.
We insist on effective consultation, amendments to the law that reflect the recommendations of the public inquiry, an end to government threats against journalists, and we expect institutions to respect the democratic purpose of free speech.