The murder of blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia triggered off a difficult moment for Malta, but it should not be allowed to detail the country’s long-term plans, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said today.

“The murder does not define us as a nation. We need to unite and send a message that this was a unique exception and that we can rise to the occasion,” he said in a videotaped message to the 600-strong audience of the EY annual conference at the InterContinental Hotel this morning.

“This was an attack on us all… Last week's events touched me in a way I have not felt before. At times like this, people look to leaders for guidance and this is what I plan to offer, now more than ever before.”

Acknowledging that the reputation of Malta has suffered as a result of the media focus following the murder, he stressed that the results of the EY survey on Malta's attractiveness to foreign direct investors told a completely different story: “This is the real Malta. We are a peaceful country where the rule of law is as strong as in other EU states – even while I acknowledge the need for introspection and improvements.”

Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

The conference was also addressed by the leader of the Opposition Adrian Delia, his first speech to a business audience since he was elected. He too acknowledged that Malta’s reputation was severely rocked by the events of the past week, stressing that it was under threat.

“Security is not a perception but a universal factor in the success that we have built up over the years,” he said.

Dr Delia said that it was not enough to have robust regulation as the important thing was to apply it.

“That is what is failing this government. And we can't just criticise: we need to interact and criticise constructively if we want to get ahead,” he said.

He referred to a number of aspects of the survey, saying that reputation was one of the island’s strongest selling points.

“We need autonomous institutions if we want to build up our freedoms and our investments. We cannot have institutions that we do not trust. We believe, truly, in the existing goodwill and we will do what we need to do to safeguard our reputation. We always have and we always will.

“Let us strengthen our institutions and give them autonomy and freedom from partisan elements. Before we do anything else, let us secure our country,” he said.