The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize aims at distinguishing outstanding journalism revolving around the principles and values of the European Union (EU). It should be awarded to in-depth journalistic items on topics of interest linked to the values enshrined in the European Charter of Human Rights undertaken by professional journalists or teams of journalists of any nationality. Matthew Caruana Galizia expresses about the prize named after his mother, a Maltese anti-corruption investigative journalist and blogger who was killed in a car bomb attack and calls EU to fight more actively against corruption. On 3rd May 2022, Roberta METSOLA, EP President, opened the plenary with a statement about World Press Freedom Day.

Brussels

statement

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

freedom of press and media (T)

Daphne Caruana Galizia prize for journalism (T)

president's agenda

CARUANA GALIZIA, Matthew (MT)

World Press Freedom Day: statement by Matthew CARUANA GALIZIA on the launch of the 2022 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism

Title: World Press Freedom Day: statement by Matthew CARUANA GALIZIA on the launch of the 2022 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism

SOUNDBITE (English), Matthew CARUANA GALIZIA, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, I never imagined during my mother's lifetime that the European Parliament would creat a prise in her name. As far as I was concerned, my mother was doing her work as a journalist, like many others, but in very adverse circumstances. What's what happened is that she became the worst, the most egregious example of what happens when the rule of law collapses, when journalists are left alone, isolated, unable to defend themselves with no protection. So I hope this prise gives some protection to journalists doing the same kind of work my mother was doing, but that it also encourages a new generation of investigative journalists, and it encourages all journalists to be as brave as they can, even in the face of great adversity.

SOUNDBITE (English), Matthew CARUANA GALIZIA, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, - When a journalist is murdered. It's it's it's not just about that single person or that person's family. The people who murder the journalist are doing it purposefully to take away the right to know from millions of people across Europe, across the world. This is what happened with my mother. This is what happened with other journalists who are being murdered in Europe and beyond.

SOUNDBITE (English), Matthew CARUANA GALIZIA, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, - What we want to do is restored and restore the place of journalism in European democracy. And by doing so, of course, restored the right to know for millions of people across Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Matthew CARUANA GALIZIA, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, - Of course, there is a tendency for autocrats, for people who are corrupt, to want the profit of corruption, to push back against journalism and isolate journalists. In doing so. What they're doing is making democracy slide backwards, but we're sort of pushing the booth back up the hill and making sure that this doesn't happen. I think we're succeeding, but of course, because everyone is working together journalists, non-profit organisations, the European Parliament, parliamentarians themselves, the Council of Europe, where we're all working together, making a huge effort to restore journalism to the place it should occupy in a democracy.

SOUNDBITE (English), Matthew CARUANA GALIZIA, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, - The most important thing that the European Union and the Member States can do to support the work of journalists is to fight corruption while people, all people, not just journalists being murdered in Ukraine right now. Russian corruption has been out of control for a very long time and unfortunately it has been supported by EU member states. Knowingly or unknowingly. This is something that needs to change and the European Union itself needs to attack the enablers of corruption in Russia, Azerbaijan, wherever it may take place.

SOUNDBITE (English), Matthew CARUANA GALIZIA, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, - I think thanks to our fight and things, thanks to the fight of the Ukrainian people, there is a much greater awareness. Perceptions have changed. I think the there's there's a greater acknowledgement now of the need to fight back against corruption, to really attack it on the root.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Journalists should never have to choose between uncovering the truth and staying alive. They should never be forced to spend years and savings to argue against vexatious lawsuits or slaps. So today on World Press Freedom Day, we launched a second edition of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prise for journalism, a prise named after a journalist assassinated for speaking the truth. And in her memory, we support those who promote and defend core European values and seek to establish the truth through outstanding journalism.