Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/970554
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL 2018 Analysis 6 NEWS that 45 journalists and 18 news organisations have col- lected over 750,000 files and of- ficial documents "to complete and publish the stories of Daph- ne Caruana Galizia" suggests that her greatest legacy was ul- timately that of putting Malta under the international radar. Malta may well have lost its 'innocence' on the international stage on that fateful day when journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was blown to pieces in an explosion six months ago. The murder has put Malta un- der the international spotlight. Will this trigger a frenzy of re- actionary isolationism or will it lead to much needed introspec- tion? Our place in the world For decades Maltese politi- cians were used to dealing with public opinion on a national level where it is much easier to manufacture consent through patronage networks. The inter- national arena was at most per- ceived as a photo opportunity for politicos appearing side by side with world leaders to boost their image locally. So far politicians and their henchmen have never felt ac- countable to international public opinion. But in the past six months Malta has not only been the subject of a rule of law investigation by MEPs but also of crass declarations by officials, like V18 chairman Jason Mi- callef, who have been censored by some of the world's leading public intellectuals. Sure enough, some did vote to join the EU precisely under the impression that this would add an additional layer of scru- tiny on local politicians. But to a large extent this remained an illusion, at least till Daphne Caruana Galizia was brutally assassinated in an explosion, which sent shock waves across the continent. The murder of a journalist in an EU member state was bound to put Malta under the gaze of the international community. The ability to exercise journal- ism without fear is so central to European identity that a similar murder in Slovakia – a former communist state – led to the resignation of an entire govern- ment. This is why the entire edifice of the Maltese economic and political system came under scrutiny after this murder. Be- ing surprised at why this hap- pened is another symptom of insularity. Connecting too many dots? The international media and intelligentsia have pounced on only one significant aspect of the Caruana Galizia legacy; her scrutiny of the interconnection between the Maltese govern- ment and rogue international capitalism. Recent revelations on Pilatus Bank chairman Ali Sadr Hashe- mi Nejad fit nicely in Caruana Galizia's journalistic narrative. This includes his creative use of offshore companies and citizen- ship buying to allegedly evade US sanctions on Iran, his close connections to Henley and Partners and the presence of the Prime Minister at his wedding. In Malta international observ- ers found in front of them all the ingredients needed to make a big international story. These included a slain jour- nalist who had recently de- nounced high level corruption, a government selling EU citi- zenship, a flirtation with Azeri kleptocrats, high-ranking of- ficials kept in office despite be- ing outed in the Panama papers and a financial services industry which attracts oligarchs. Moreover, international ob- servers also tend to place events within the context of their nar- ratives. For example, Roberto Sa- viano –himself a strong voice against organised crime in his own country and beyond was very quick to claim that she was killed "because she un- derstood the illegal flows of money through Malta and she understood this was a question of someone or certain people doing wrong, but that it was an entire system designed for the flow of dirty money," Joining dots can be extremely problematic. The fact that these dots exist does not necessarily prove that they are connected together. But the fact that there is no proof of a connection does not dismiss the seriousness of the issues surrounding each dot. Moreover, any serious work in journalism rests on providing a context. This context must in- clude the tell-tale trails left by the protagonists of any story; something which in itself pro- vides circumstantial evidence. This also constitutes "proof ", one of the favourite phrases used by the Daphne bashing crowd. It is also true that the edifice which is now under internation- al scrutiny pre-dated Caruana Galizia's murder by at least a decade and the rule of law prob- lems which became so startling in the face of Panamagate, were rooted in an institutional set- up crippled by a winner takes all political system. It is a fact that this system largely escaped international scrutiny before re- cent events. Yet it was inevitable that all our deficiencies would come under inspection after Caruana Galizia's assassination. Selective gaze? Inevitably this international narrative surrounding the mur- der was also selective, ignoring the less savory aspects of Caru- ana Galizia's legacy which may be less relevant to the prevailing international narrative. This included a harsh dose of antipathy against anything and anyone associated with the Labour party and sometimes a selective intrusion in personal life, which did not even spare loved ones and relatives of those involved. For while Caruana Galizia performed another important function in a modern democ- racy; that of cutting to size the swollen egos of politicians and hangers-on, this role was per- formed in a toxic bipartisan po- litical environment. This may explain why some, including myself, are taken aback by what can be seen as a hagiography in the making, which in itself fails to do justice to Caruana Galizia herself as a consequential historical and multi-faceted figure who, like many others in her field, had a rough edge. As often happens in Malta she performed a plurality of contra- dictory roles ranging from lucid analysis, witty commentary and JAMES DEBONO SIX MONTHS ON How a murder shone a spotlight on Malta It was inevitable that all our deficiencies would come under inspection after Caruana Galizia's assassination