I will keep my promises to Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family – Vera Jourova

European Commission Vice-President-Designate for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova has told the European Parliament that she met Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family and promised her mother that she would look very closely at the investigations. “I made a promise to her son to protect journalists. These are very strong commitments. I will keep them,” an EPP statement read.

Jourova was appearing before MEPs. The VP-designate also slammed cash-for-passport schemes piloted by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s government, the EPP statement added. She underlined her commitment to examining the schemes saying, “I agree it is time to ban these schemes - governments are selling what is not wholly theirs - but EU laws are limited so what we can do is pass legislation to make things more transparent.” MEP Roberta Metsola, who is also the EPP coordinator for such hearings said that Daphne Caruana Galizia had investigated cash-for-passports schemes. “We know there is no genuine link to Malta or to the European Union. We know only too well the security gaps these expose and the corruption, electoral manipulation and money-laundering avenues they create. The monetisation of the rights enjoyed by EU citizens should not be what we are about. It is time for them to be banned.”

Turning to the rule of law and ensuring media freedom, MEP Metsola said: “You have been entrusted with a portfolio that is a fundamental pillar of the European project. The rule of law is the basis for everything that we do here and we know that if we allow it to be threatened anywhere, then we risk it collapsing everywhere. This is the nature of our Union.”

MEP Metsola reiterated her call to establish a rule of law mechanism and to ensure EU anti-SLAPP legislation, saying that journalists must be protected not only from murder in the worst cases, but from constant harassment and vexatious lawsuits.

Replying to MEP Metsola’s questioning, VP Jourova committed to looking at legislation that will protect press freedom and address vexatious lawsuits in Europe.