Daphne Caruana Galizia journalism prize ‘symbol of EU support’
The details of an annual Daphne Caruana Galizia prize for journalism are set to be approved by the European Parliament on Monday.
The prize seeks to distinguish outstanding journalism revolving around the principles and values of the EU.
It will be open to journalists or teams of journalists of any nationality.
MEP Roberta Metsola described the creation of the annual prize, with a purse of €20,000, as an important moment for Malta and the EU.
“More than the prize money, it is a symbolic step that sends the message that the European Union stands with independent journalists and will support them.
“Daphne Caruana Galizia’s courage in holding power to account and in exposing corruption represents the very best of Maltese and European values and she will be remembered and honoured. Assassins may have stopped her pen but her legacy will live on,” she said.
The European Parliament proved to be one of the key institutions ensuring international scrutiny of the murder investigation and the role played by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s government in facilitating corruption.
Metsola said the EP will continue to demand justice over the stories the journalist was killed for. It expects all the people behind her killing and its cover-up to face justice.
The MEP expressed her hope that Malta will follow Europe’s example and launch a national effort to recognise Caruana Galizia’s contribution and permanently honour “one of the country’s most courageous daughters”.
The parliament had inaugurated a press room named after the journalist a month after her October 2017 assassination.
In contrast, Speaker Anġlu Farrugia this year vetoed a proposal to name a hall in Malta’s parliament after Caruana Galizia, saying the move could be seen as eroding the impartiality of the House.
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