Following the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, S&D Group president Gianni Pittella said:

“The murder of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has caused a wave of emotion and indignation across Europe. We strongly condemn this barbaric attack and express our condolences to her family and friends. Many members of our group working on the inquiry committee into the Panama Papers had the opportunity to meet and discuss with Caruana Galizia in Malta. Her unrelenting work as a blogger and an independent journalist to expose corruption was praised by all. As Socialists and Democrats, we stand firmly in support of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. We must do all we can to protect whistle-blowers and journalists working to shine a light on wrongdoing.

“Everything possible must now be done to find those responsible for this heinous crime.”