During a debate on Monday evening, lead MEPs of the political groups lined up to pay their respects to slain Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia for her bravery and what she represented – the profession ready to ask difficult questions to enable democracy to thrive, and to stand for the rule of law.  The large majority also recognised that the troubles uncovered by Ms Caruana Galizia concerned all of the EU and therefore united action was necessary.

Some placed the blame squarely at the door of the Maltese authorities calling for an international investigation into the case and scrutiny of the rule of law, corruption and organised crime in Malta.  Others chose to focus on the need for wider EU action to be undertaken to fight what had become a common problem.

Earlier in the day, the plenary observed a minute’s silence, in the presence of Ms Caruana Galizia’s family, and President Antonio Tajani announced that the European Parliament’s Strasbourg press conference room will be named after her.

Daphne Caruana Galizia, a Maltese investigative journalist who rose to prominence with the Panama Papers, was murdered in a car bomb in Malta last week.