In the last few weeks since Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder case finally started to crack open, activists of civil society NGO Repubblika have reported an increasing level of online and even face-to-face verbal violence and intimidation by government supporters.

Last Monday, they felt compelled to write to President George Vella to ask for his protection. They pointed out that this increased level of aggression was being fueled and justified by a barrage of insults from government ministers and senior members as well as the Labour Party media. Repubblika activists were being labelled “criminals”, “violent” and against Paralympic athletes. Their intention was to “cause chaos” and “bring back the violence of the 1980s”. 

This last accusation is particularly disquieting. It implies that by protesting against this government, precipitating the biggest constitutional crisis since Independence, they were provoking a return to the mindless violence of those in the 1980s who preferred to rule by terror then lose power. Repubblika activists were being told: shut up if you know what’s good for you.

This is the same message that Daphne, with her matchless courage, was well aware of and ignored in order to pursue the trail of State corruption.

Repubblika’s legitimate concerns should by right have been addressed to the police. But since 2013, when police protection was withdrawn from Daphne, the confidence that the police would protect the public from criminals who were close to political power, and even from the government itself, has been steadily eroded. We are now in a position where both contenders to replace Prime Minister Joseph Muscat have publicly expressed their complete lack of trust in Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar.

Chris Fearne has also admitted that immediate action should have been taken against Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi when the Panama Papers were leaked three years ago. In so doing, he has rubbished the stance taken by both Mr Cutajar and Attorney General Peter Grech who steadfastly refused to take any action, even in the face of FAIU recommendations to do so.

At the same time, the courts have finally forced the AG to hand over the full Egrant report. The prime minister had asked retired judge Antonio Mizzi to vet the report for imminent publication, something that Dr Grech was meant to be doing.

Yet, both Mr Cutajar and Dr Grech do not have the common decency or even the basic self-respect to resign forthwith. Why? The country is being afforded the unedifying spectacle of the holders of these two top institutional positions holding on to their jobs beyond reason, in the face of public lack of confidence that is verging of contempt.

Dr Muscat too is insisting on his slow-motion departure. To make matters worse, Parliament has shut down for its longest Christmas break ever, and Deputy Prime Minister Fearne is now fully taken up with his efforts to replace Dr Muscat. The State is paralysed and the country is traumatised.

In this toxic atmosphere, anything can happen. The Repubblika activists deserve our thanks, and the country owes them the protection they have every right to expect. The Constitution does not prohibit the President to speak his mind, as he has already done in his Republic Day speech. He is duty-bound to use his moral authority to ensure that the “gang of criminals” and their proxies do not wreak their vengeance on Repubblika, to the detriment of our republic.