The assassination of Daphne: an act of intimidation above all

18th October, 2017 Nicolas Gros Verheyde

(B2) The murder of the Maltese blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia who died in the explosion of her car in Malta (blog) challenges. This journalist had a talent, to flush out business, to be the scratching hair in particular of the current Maltese government led by Joseph Muscat, which she considered to be corrupt (his wife could be involved in money transfers with Azerbaijan) , just like his chief of staff, wheeled to the low works. We had the opportunity to exchange, on one or two occasions, in particular on the Dalli affair. And, beyond the personal or professional emotion, there is really something to wonder about...

An act of intimidation above all

There have rarely been assassinations in Europe (1). The latest did not concern a country of the European Union, but Anna Politkovskaya in Russia (2). One can notice, here, that it is not a question of a "simple" assassination. The perpetrators of the crime wanted this act to be as demonstrative as possible. Blowing up a car is a way to kill but also a very clear act of intimidation. The message is for all the press: stop investigating certain facts.

A certain caution from the Commission

Faced with this, we can find that the European Commission reacted with caution, and a very agreed message, which seem out of step with the event. " It is a horrible act. A tragic event that must be investigated. We want justice done only pointed out on Tuesday (October 17) the Commission's chief spokesperson, Margaritis Schinas. The latter did not want to respond to a possible questioning of Malta under the rule of law, indirectly rejecting this hypothesis. And, when asked about a specific interview with Jean-Claude Juncker, adding: “ The president (Juncker) knows everyone, and is in constant contact with everyone, and does not need special occasions [to discuss certain people]. He " has all the information he needs »

A little short for what concerns all the same a Member State of the European Union, which one wonders if it is still a State of law or a simple mafia state...

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

NB: Dutch forensic specialists arrived in Malta on Tuesday to assist the Maltese police in their investigation. FBI electronics specialists are also expected on Thursday to help analyze various equipment, including the journalist's computer found in the burnt-out car, according to Malta today.

(1) Several journalists were, in the 2000s, targeted by the Basque separatist organization ETA, which killed José Luis Lopes de La Calle (in a molotov cocktail attack on his home), and attempted to do so, during attack on Gorka Landaburu.

(2) Read also:

On the initiative of the President of the European Council, a minute of silence was observed during the press conference of the summit of social partners (credit: European Council)