On January 28th, President von der Leyen and Prime Minister Abela discussed the situation in Malta and the reforms that are being undertaken in relation to the judicial system and the police force. Prime Minister Abela expressed his commitment to ensure that Malta abides by the highest rule of law standards. President von der Leyen encouraged the Prime Minister to continue working on the basis of the recommendations by the Venice Commission and expressed the Commission's willingness to support Malta in advancing with its reforms. #Malta #vdLeyen #Abela #EuropeanCommission #EU #Asylum #Migration
Prime Minister Abela expressed his concern in relation to migration and the increase in irregular arrivals in Malta. President von der Leyen referred to the ongoing preparations on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, acknowledging the pressure faced by some Member States, including Malta, and the need for a European solution that works for all.
---------
Malta gets new PM after outcry over star journalist’s murder.
Robert Abela replaces PM Joseph Muscat, who was forced to resign after investigation into murder of journalist implicated his top aide. Slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia had exposed corruption at the highest levels.
Outsider Robert Abela has been chosen as Malta’s new premier after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s downfall over the murder of an investigative journalist.
Abela, who is seen as representing continuity, was elected leader of the Labour Party Saturday, meaning he automatically takes the role of prime minister.
In the election run-up, Abela did not criticise Muscat, who announced in December he would quit following widespread anger over his perceived efforts to protect friends and allies from a probe into the 2017 slaying of blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Prior to the election result, activist groups cast doubt on whether his successor would bring about real change in the Mediterranean country, which they say has been taken over by “criminals”.
Dubbed the “one woman WikiLeaks”, Caruana Galizia exposed corruption at the highest levels. She was killed by a car bomb on October 16, 2017 in an attack that made world headlines.
Less than an hour before her death, she wrote on her blog: “There are crooks everywhere you look. The situation is desperate”.
Two candidates were vying to take over as Labour leader and prime minister: deputy prime minister and health minister Chris Fearne, a 56-year old surgeon, and 42-year-old lawyer Abela.
Fearne had the backing of most cabinet members but Abela had been closing the gap in the polls in the final week of the campaign, the Times of Malta said.
Neither referred to the Galizia killing in the run-up to the election. Both have insisted they represent continuity, highlighting their determination to keep the economy on its stellar trajectory.
“We have the reputation (in Malta) of being pirates. The reason is that a group of criminals have taken over our government,” Manuel Delia, a member of the activist group Repubblika, said.
“We need change.”
Martina Darmanin, a 24-year old academic, said the reporter’s killing had been “a shock”, and she had taken part in the regular demonstrations denouncing “the mafia in power”.
Repubblika plans to deliver a manifesto to the new prime minister calling for a clean up of politics and the economy as well as a revamp of the constitution to guarantee a genuine separation of powers.
In an emotional farewell address Friday, Muscat said he was “sorry” about the killing, the investigation into which he has been accused of hampering.
“I paid the highest price for this case to be solved under my watch,” he said.
The opposition Nationalist Party slammed Muscat’s “surreal” speech, pointing out that it was Caruana Galiza who had paid that price.
Muscat’s fall from power followed daily protests led by supporters of the Caruana Galizia family, who accuse him among other things of shielding his chief of staff and childhood friend Keith Schembri, who has been implicated in the murder.
The journalist’s family had called for Muscat to step down immediately, but support from his party and his own popularity – linked to Malta’s booming economy – bought him time until the party election.
Three men are on trial for allegedly detonating the bomb that killed Caruana Galizia, while a fourth – powerful businessman Jorgen Fenech – was charged as an accomplice after being detained as he tried to leave the country on his yacht.
Fenech’s arrest in November sparked the resignation of tourism minister Konrad Mizzi, who formerly served as energy minister, and Schembri.
The murder and probe, Malta Today wrote on Saturday, “cast an indelible stain on Muscat and his administration”.
0 Comments