Robert Abela believes not enough has been done to help the country heal from the earthquake unleashed by Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination, despite what he describes as the “tangible progress” made so far.

Justice will be served, primarily with the Caruana Galizia family but also with the people of Malta, the prime minister pledged, as the country today marks five years since the journalist was killed in a devastating car bomb in Bidnija.

“The reform process must and will continue… Reconciliation was and remains of paramount importance,” Abela told Times of Malta.

His comments come a day after brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio filed a guilty plea in court, thus admitting to sparking the bomb which killed Caruana Galizia, in a sensational turnaround in court.

Their accomplice Vince Muscat was sentenced last year, businessman Yorgen Fenech is awaiting trial on suspicion that he ordered the murder, while Robert Agius and Jamie Vella are charged with supplying the car bomb.

Times of Malta reached out to some of the country’s leaders and prominent public figures for their views on the impact of Caruana Galizia’s murder and what still needs to change. 

Abela said he immediately apologised for the state’s shortcomings and insisted there would be no immunity or impunity for anyone and listed a series of initiatives taken by his administration to strengthen the rule of law.

“As a government, we were, and will remain, determined that lessons are learned from this. We aim to do this not just by amending laws to enable the better protection of journalists, but attitudes need to be changed too.”

On the other hand, former president Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said the assassination of Caruana Galizia shattered Malta’s international reputation and overshadowed the social reforms and progress achieved in recent years.

“Internationally, we lost the long-standing respect and trust we enjoyed as a nation,” the former Labour minister said. 

A looming figure in the PL who enjoys wide-ranging respect and admiration for staying true to her socialist views throughout several decades of public life, Coleiro Preca said the murder overshadowed the social reforms enacted in recent years.

The former president, who remains active in public life championing social causes, said that Caruana Galizia’s murder made the country more aware of how fragile Malta’s democracy “was and still is”.

Daphne was not perfect. There were those of us who did not agree with the way she wrote on certain topics. However, she also exposed “high-level corruption” taking place and a culture of impunity ultimately meant that she paid the highest price for doing her duty as a journalist- Archbishop Charles Scicluna

“It made us aware of the importance of the media in a properly functioning democracy. It also made us aware that we need to learn lessons if we are to conduct a genuine rebuilding process.”

Former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi said there is a long way to go until the country can move forward from the murder. 

“For five years we have together hoped that Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination will bring a sea change in Malta,” he said.

The former Nationalist leader said the “never-ending stories of rot within our society” seem to have become a daily affair, the state of journalism in Malta remains under siege and “partisan politics, petty piques and sheer short sightedness continue to divide us”.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna said the murder remains a stain on the country. 

“Daphne was not perfect. There were those of us who did not agree with the way she wrote on certain topics,” he said.

However, she also exposed “high-level corruption” taking place and a culture of impunity ultimately meant that she paid the highest price for doing her duty as a journalist.   

The anniversary of the murder will be marked by a series of events today.  Among others, mass will be held at Bidnija church at 9.30am and a silent gathering will be held at the site of Daphne’s murder at 3pm, the moment the journalist was killed. A vigil calling for justice will be taking place in Valletta at 7.30pm with European Parliament president Roberta Metsola among those expected to attend.