The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism, with the support of the European Parliament, is a tribute to the Maltese investigative journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was assassinated in October 2017. It rewards, on a yearly basis, outstanding journalism that promotes or defends the core principles and values of the European Union, such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights. Welcome by Pina PICIERNO (S&D, IT), EP Vice-President, and opening speech by Roberta METSOLA, EP President. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

ceremony

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

PICIERNO, Pina (S&D, IT)

Daphne Caruana Galizia prize for journalism (T)

Ceremony of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism 2023: welcome by Pina PICIERNO (S&D, IT), EP Vice-President, and opening speech by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President Thank you very much, Carmen. Dear Laureates and finalists of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism. Dear Colleagues, dear Friends: six years ago yesterday, Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was brutally assassinated for exposing high level corruption and organized crime.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President They thought that a car bomb would silence her, but as we can see just by today, her voice lives on. It lives on in her family, who fight every day for justice in her sisters. Corinne Vella is about to arrive, who are present with us today. In her mother, who did not live to see justice for her daughter. In her father, who remains a bastion of fortitude and inspiration.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President It lives on in her colleagues and journalists and media professions, some from Malta I see in front of me, who are still targeted and harassed but like Daphne, refused to give in. And her voice lives on in the work of this house. In this Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism, which supports and promotes outstanding journalistic work guided by the very same values that Daphne always fought and stood for.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President 'Allow me to thank Vice-President Pina Apicerno for her work on this initiative, and First Vice-President Ottmar Karas and Member of the European Parliament, David Casa, for their efforts in establishing this award. Thank you also to my colleagues in the bureau, Marc Angel, Demetrios, Papadimoulis, and Hady Hautala for coming here. Special thanks also goes to our incredible staff who I know have worked so hard on this event.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President The European Parliament will continue to stand by Daphne's family on the side of truth seekers, on the side of justice of independent journalism. We have demanded answers. We have scrutinized and we have legislated. And we will continue to legislate to ensure that our Europe is a space where journalists are able to work free from fear, from harassment, from violence, from murder.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President 'The Media Freedom Act and the anti-SLAPP directive, which I am proud to say were initiatives spearheaded by this Parliament, are currently being negotiated. And their adoption will allow journalists to do their work without having to fear financial or emotional ruin or even worse, for their lives. And let me assure you of the European Parliament's and my own continued support on these laws.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President The commitment that we have is as personal as it is institutional. I grew up in Maltese politics and it is hard to describe the influence that she had on my on our outlook. The entire country and beyond read her column and blog religiously. She made the corrupt, the crooked and the mediocre tremble. And I can say she still does.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President She was a force of nature that you could rely on because her pen was second to none. She could use the English language in a manner that could bring clarity to the most complex of situations. And as a politician, I could take difficult or even controversial decisions and hope that Daphne would back them up and of course, fear that she wouldn't. But when she thought you got it right, you had a safety net.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President It is what we could not give enough to her, when she needed it the most. A lot of us still catch ourselves, logging on to her blog or unconsciously asking what she would have thought about the impossible decisions that we have to take. What she would have written about the choices we sometimes have between bad and worse outcomes. So six years after her last blog post, that is the level of influence that she had and she has still.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President I knew Daphne as more than the investigative journalist. We often remember her as I miss her humor, the amount of times she made me laugh out loud, the times she managed to articulate exactly what I was thinking, even if I couldn't now even miss her criticism. She has given us all a thicker skin and brought about higher standards, sometimes simply by pointing out what should have been obvious.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President So, I miss her. I know so many people do too, and therefore today we can do our little bit to remember her in what has become an important day in the European Parliament's calendar. It will be the third time that we award the Daphne Caruana Galizia prize for Journalism. Congratulations to all the laureates and the future winner. I know that you know the big voice that you need to help fill, and this Parliament will help you do that. Thank you.

'SOUNDBITE (Italian), Pina PICIERNO (S&D, IT), EP Vice-President, Good evening and welcome, also from my side to the ceremony of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism. This is the 30th edition of the Prize. Some members of the jury and authors are here with us today, and they want to warmly welcome them. We are here to underline our commitment to ensuring that the journalists do not have to choose between their work and their own safety.

'SOUNDBITE (Italian), Pina PICIERNO (S&D, IT), EP Vice-President, Men and women who, just like Daphne have been intimidated, attacked or killed in the exercise of their duties in Europe and beyond. So today's ceremony is a tribute to Daphne and to those committed to continue her work. And it is a tangible sign of the Parliament's support to journalists in their fight for free, pluralistic and independent media. But let's be clear, it is also our fight. It is also our commitment.

'SOUNDBITE (Italian), Pina PICIERNO (S&D, IT), EP Vice-President, It's extremely important for us to be here for this year's edition of the prize, a prize which, thanks to the work of our staff and our officers, has grown. As the President said, and I too, would like to thank everybody for all of their valuable contributions. And above and beyond that, it is obviously an opportunity for us to pay tribute to journalists and reporters, but also an occasion on which the European Parliament can proudly emphasize that the freedom of the media and the press is a cornerstone of our politics.

'SOUNDBITE (Italian), Pina PICIERNO (S&D, IT), EP Vice-President, A strong, robust and free Europe cannot do without strong and free information and disinformation and propaganda and corruption thrive if that is not so. And that is why we need commitment from free and robust journalism and something we should call for. Our system of values is under attack from all quarters. Our freedoms are jeopardized by illiberal regimes or by criminal enterprises and our national governments have, of course, to deal with foreign policy.

'SOUNDBITE (Italian), Pina PICIERNO (S&D, IT), EP Vice-President, But I would, in conclusion, like to emphasize once again that we will not budge an inch when it comes to defending and standing up for freedom of the media and all our other rights. We already do everything in our power to rise to the expectations of our heritage. Thank you very much. And thank you to Daphne Caruana Galizia.