Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola has been appointed to head a new anti-corruption body within the European Parliament, together with Green MEP Daniel Freund. 

“The political and constitutional crisis in Malta must be a catalyst for change also on a European level," Dr Metsola said after accepting the appointment.

"We need to have the tools to prevent criminality and corruption at the highest levels of EU member states. In crisis situations like Malta, people look to the European Union for legal and moral leadership. We cannot have more platitudes, we need concrete action and for that to happen the EU needs to develop instruments to protect people from corruption and criminality. Corruption kills. Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated because she exposed corruption at the highest levels of government."

He added that she is determined to use this platform to show that the disgraced Keith Schembri, Joseph Muscat and Konrad Mizzi do not define the Maltese population.

Mr Freund said the Caruana Galizia case illustrated the toxic effects of corruption and nepotism in Europe and made the work of the anti-corruption intergroup all the more relevant. 

Below is a reaction to Dr Metsola's appointment by Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar:

How can a Maltese MEP from the Opposition & therefore with a direct partisan interest be trusted to “investigate” such matters and put all our minds at rest as to her impartiality? Can we have faith in the fairness of her judgement? @RobertaMetsola @EU_Commission @Europarl_EN https://t.co/2CpCT0LC9L

— Rosianne Cutajar (@RosianneCutajar) December 5, 2019