On Wednesday, the European Parliament overwhelmingly adop-ted a resolution with regard to the rule of law in our country. The loud and clear message has been conveyed from across the entire political spectrum represented in the Parliament.

The message cannot be ignored by the government of Malta. Equally and even more so, it cannot be ignored by the European Commission, which is now expected to “establish a dialogue with the Maltese government regarding the functioning of the rule of law in Malta and to ensure respect for European values”. The Commission is also to keep the European Parliament fully informed of its assessment.

When representing the people of Malta within the European Parliament, I cherish the fact that I am representing the same people that voted for Malta’s membership in the European Union precisely to anchor our future with the fundamental values of that Union.

Those values, which are enshrined in the treaties of the Union, include the rule of law and the utmost protection of our fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression.

The brutal assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia just over a month ago has meant the execution of Malta’s most investigative and courageous journalist ever.

Was it a form of payback for the scandals that she revealed? Scandals that relate to the highest levels of our government and to criminality that is operating with a sense of impunity in our country.

Apart from payback, the execution was certainly meant to stop her from investigating further, from revealing more information for the benefit of all her followers and society as a whole.

The assassination of a journalist does not only stifle that person’s freedom of expression. It is also meant to choke our own freedom of expression, the people’s freedom to receive all the information that Daphne imparted to them on a daily basis.

That is the freedom I am proud to have defended, together with my colleagues David Casa and Roberta Metsola, within the European Parliament. That is the freedom that I shall carry on defending.

Had there been no dereliction of duty at so many different levels in our country over the past years, Daphne would still be alive

Evidently the Prime Minister did not see me or my colleagues in a favourable light for doing this. In my case, he even came up with dishonest insinuations and outright lies in an attempt to intimidate me. These tactics will not work with me or my colleagues. They only make us more determined to stand up for the people of Malta and to do that by standing up for the truth.

The European Parliament is there to represent all the people within the European Union. It is the Parliament of the Maltese people just as much as it is the Parliament of the people in the other 27 Member States of the Union. We are not expected to behave like government spokespersons within that Parliament, but our duty is to the people whom we represent.

Equally, the European Commission is not there to serve as an apologist for one government or another but to serve as guardian of the European treaties, of the European Charter of Fundamental Human Rights and of European values.

Within the European Parliament I tried to explain the surreal situation in which we are living at the moment. The persons who deliberately chose not to investigate the various scandals revealed by Daphne are expecting us to believe that they are seriously investigating her assassination.

The persons who did not protect her when she was still alive are claiming that they want to do her justice in her death; those who scorned her journalistic activity are now supposed to examine all that she ever wrote as part of their investigations, which could only be considered complete not only if they led to whoever carried out the brutal act but also to whoever brought about the circumstances that led to the assassination in the first place.

I firmly believe that had there been no dereliction of duty at so many different levels in our country over the past years, Daphne would still be alive.

That is why it is not a question of her assassination leading to an entire collapse of the rule of law in Malta, but the other way round: the entire collapse of the rule of law in Malta led to her assassination.

The damage suffered to our reputation as a result of this situation is certainly unfortunate, but that reputation can only be corrected by establishing who ruined it by bringing about this collapse – not by trying to deride those standing up for Malta, for the people, who deserve far better, and for the values which can only be safeguarded by being defended relentlessly and with determination.

Within the European Parliament, I am proud to stand on the side of the people and of freedom.

Francis Zammit Dimech is aNationalist Party MEP.